The Family I Always Wanted
by LaPirataAna
Summary: Sequel to Fiery Tempers Icy Hearts. Loki has been revealed as the father and although they couldn't be more relieved, they have no idea where to start! With their worries about the unique pregnancy and the threat of the Other still looming heavily over them, Loki, Echo, and the Avengers are in for quite a different adventure than they're used to. (Summaries: not my forte, hehe.)
1. Chapter 1

**I swear, I am so sorry for not posting within the week as I had wanted. I did a major rewrite of the outline I had, and I'm still a little iffy about it. However, I managed to organize it well enough to be able to post the first chapter at least. :) I received an anonymous review the other day, in which they stated it had been 5 days since I finished FT&IH, and asked me to please post the new story for they could not wait any longer. Whoever you are, you don't know how much that motivated me to sit down and really **_**work**_** on the outline. Thanks! ;D (Leave an alias next time, since I had a few other guest reviewers too!) :)**

**Thank you so much for your patience, to those of you who've waited! And, FINALLY, here is the first chapter of the sequel! I'm super nervous, (this is still my first story/sequel after **_**all**_**), but I'll get back into it...and I know that my fabulous readers will let me know what to change if I need to, right? ;D Enjoy!**

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It had only been three days since he had been revealed to be the father of Echo's child – '_Yggdrasil, it will be a while to get used to _that _notion' _– but Loki could not help but see Echo in a different light.

In the past couple of days, Echo had seemed to go through a transformation. Nothing visible as of yet, but more emotionally and mentally. The way she seemed to glow now amazed Loki, truly proving how much the good news of the child's parentage had meant to her. A load had clearly been lifted off of her shoulders, and Loki could gaze upon his lover's smile without reprise and never tire of it.

Although, Loki found himself more often than not glancing at Echo's stomach as well. As it was still early on, the imperceptible curve of her stomach could barely be seen even when she wore tight shirts. But there was most undeniably _something_ there, and his heart swelled each time he looked at it.

After figuring out that Loki was the father, the overall atmosphere of the Tower was much lighter. Clint and Tony were back to cracking crude jokes, making Steve blush and Bucky laugh. Thor boomed everything he said as usual, the stifling tension no longer affecting his ability to make the others' ears ring with a single phrase.

Natasha had also changed from her cold façade, and was often seen by Echo's side now. Clint made small comments every now and then, feigning jealousy, but had learned the past day to hold his tongue.

Loki smiled as he remembered how both women had turned their heads to glare after a particularly sarcastic comment. The smirk on Clint's face had disappeared, and within the next second, so did he. Their laughter followed Clint down the hall as he had fled.

Of course, there was still the underlying worry of the Other still roaming around. But other than Loki continuing to search with his magic and the help of his teammates, there was nothing much else they could do at that point.

To say everyone was both excited and nervous about the little being in Echo's stomach was an understatement. Much to everyone's amusement, Tony seemed to the most excited, after Echo and Loki of course. _'At times it seems that _he's_ having the child, and not Echo,'_ Loki mused, watching as Tony went into another spiel of supplies they should get before the baby's arrival.

Loki was currently sitting at the kitchen table with a nice cup of tea, with Bruce and Steve as they waited for a friend of the doctor to arrive. As promised, Bruce had asked his most trusted companion of the medical field, who had been informed of the situation and who would do their best to accommodate to any challenges they would encounter along the way. Loki only hoped that nothing too serious would occur.

Natasha, Bucky, and Thor were in the living room with Echo and Clint, enjoying a late relaxing breakfast for once in a _very_ long time. They were all in simple t-shirts and sweats, not wanting to get dressed properly, and completely content to stay lazy for the day. Loki was too nervous about the appointment to eat anything at that moment, but Bruce managed to keep him relatively calm.

Something clattered, and Loki looked up from his drink to see Natasha placing the dishes in the dishwashing machine. After two years of being on Midgard, Loki was still astounded at the things these humans would come up with. Some things he agreed were useful, but others were simply ridiculous. _'Such as that backwards jacket thing that Tony wanted to buy earlier. Even the name is ludicrous – snuggie.'_

"And we have to order more baby clothes," Tony's voice made its way into Loki's head, and he turned a bored gaze onto the inventor pacing the kitchen. "Only of the highest quality, of course, I will not have the kid wear any of those clichéd so-cute-you-want-to-vomit onesies and stuff. We need toys, interactive ones to stimulate their brain from early on, and –"

"Jeez, would ya calm down? Do we need to call Pepper or Rhodey to calm you down, I mean damn." Clint's voice carried over to the kitchen, and Loki sniggered at Tony's annoyed expression.

"Well, it's probably a better idea to call at least Pepper anyways, so we don't get huge shipments of the wrong things," Bruce said, smiling softly as Tony turned a wounded expression towards him.

"Man, who'd have thought _you_ would be the one to go nuts over shopping?" Clint called from the sofa, stretching his arms and legs languorously across the entire couch. Loki cracked a smile at the surprised yelp that followed, as Echo had poked Clint's bare foot from where it had pushed her.

Echo was sitting on the other side of the couch, in the corner that Clint had purposefully made small. Her legs were curled beneath her, hands clasped loosely in her lap, and she leant her head back on the couch as a small smile crossed her face.

Since the test results had been revealed, Echo seemed to smile at each and every little thing that happened. Not that Loki was complaining, mirroring her smile as Echo laughed while poking Clint's foot again. Loki knew she would always remember what had happened to her, but now it seemed that having a baby was just the right push to make her happy again.

Loki placed his chin in his hand, shaking his head as he watched his lover and teammate relapse once again into children. The archer brought his knees closer to his chest in an effort to keep away from Echo, and she immediately took advantage of the space.

Sprawling lazily over the sofa, Echo tangled her legs with Clint's, attempting to push him off the couch completely. "Hey, just because you're preggo now doesn't mean I won't defend myself!" Clint exclaimed with a naughty gleam in his eyes, nudging Echo back in response.

"Hey Loki, I want to talk to you." Loki turned away from the living room towards Bruce, who was looking at him expectantly. "It's about your...background."

Shifting his body to face the doctor fully, Loki sighed, "Yes, what would you like to know? I will try my best to answer any questions."

Clasping his hands in front of him, Bruce said, "I just wanted to know what we should expect throughout the pregnancy. If there are any major differences between a Frost Giant giving birth and a human, or if they are similar. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"As Thor and I grew up, we did not go into the details of how the Jötnar lived and such. The stories we heard were mainly about battles, and how many our soldiers were able to _kill_ at one time," Loki scoffed, glancing up to see Thor nodding his head in agreement from the armchair he sat in.

Looking back at Bruce, Loki said sadly, "I am sorry that I am unable to help you at this point, but I will certainly be traveling to Asgard again to gather more information. I do not want anything happening to Echo that we could have foreseen – perhaps I could find something of use in the archives."

"Aye, the scrolls there may hold some information, although they may be difficult to find. We can depart within the week if you wish, Dr. Banner," Thor called, adding his voice to the conversation.

"Sure, the sooner the better. This is definitely a unique pregnancy, and I just want to make sure everything is taken care of."

"Aaaaw, you really do care." Loki grinned at the call, and looked over at the couch to see Clint and Echo lounging across the sofa. Echo had her hand over her heart, flashing a smile at Bruce.

"Nah, I'm just interested about the scientific aspects," Bruce replied casually, grinning back as a laugh burst out of Echo. Loki watched as Clint used the distraction to attempt to roll her off, but Echo caught herself just in time.

Rolling his eyes as the two continued pushing and prodding at each other, Loki took one final sip of his tea, then stood up to walk over to them. Their movements slowed as he approached, and Loki didn't bother hiding his smirk as they gazed up at him with apprehensive expressions.

Then Echo grinned wickedly, pushing hard against Clint, catching him off guard so that he fell off the sofa with a thud. Loki casually stepped over the squirming man, pushing him back down and laughing at the muffled curse as Clint fell to the floor again.

Sitting down beside Echo, Loki raised an eyebrow as she placed her legs across his lap. Crossing her arms, an impish grin – that was doing deliciously terrible things to his body – on her face, Echo merely looked back at him as if challenging him.

When he didn't react in any way, Echo lay back completely and sighed loudly as her muscles relaxed. Her eyes closed, the pure smile ever present on her lips, and she laid her clasped hands over her stomach.

"Hey, you could've fallen asleep in your bed! I claimed the couch before you!" Clint complained from the floor, where he had simply rolled over onto his back. Echo's response was to slide a leg off of Loki's lap, never opening her eyes, and poke Clint in the stomach. "Oh, no, I heard of your tickle attack. I won't be another victim!"

Loki laughed with the others as Clint leapt away quickly, before turning his eyes back to Echo beside him. She still had her eyes closed, and as he gazed over her body yet again, Clint's comment stirred a memory within his mind.

Grinning mischievously, Loki reached a hand out and lightly trailed his fingers up her side. The reaction was instantaneous. Echo nearly rolled off the couch in her attempt to avoid Loki's fingers, and only Loki's hands on her legs and hip kept her from hitting the floor as Clint had.

Echo had lashed out to grab the offending hand, and now held it as she brought her heartbeat back down to a normal level. She pouted up at Loki, her frown deepening slightly as the joyful laughter of the others filled the room. Lifting her free hand, Echo wagged her finger at him, mouthing the words, 'Naughty, naughty.'

Loki only smiled, pulling his hand gently out of her grasp, and placed it over her stomach. Rubbing it through her shirt softly with his thumb, Loki could feel the beginnings of the curve that would become their child. When his eyes locked on hers, the warm smile that was spread across Echo's face nearly took Loki's breath away.

"Ew, I'm going to throw up," Tony exclaimed, interrupting the peaceful silence. "Stop it with the mushy lovey-dovey stuff! Keep that in your room." The look that Echo shot Loki after Tony's comment was, in one word, _sinful_.

"Wouldn't you rather we keep _this _in the bedroom?" Before Loki could process her words, Echo used his arm to pull herself up before claiming his lips in a heated kiss. Loki was surprised at her ferocity, before his brain caught up and he eagerly deepened the kiss to continue her game.

"Ugh, gross," came the mock disgusted call, before the room exploded in laughter and Tony gave an offended gasp. Loki opened one eye to see what had happened, and smiled against Echo's lips as he saw her pointing a hand gesture towards Tony that he had learned was insulting to the Midgardians.

Loki leaned away from Echo, a smirk already forming on his face as she subconsciously tried to follow him. He took in her slightly swollen lips, pink cheeks, and wide eyes and couldn't resist placing another quick kiss on those lips.

Echo looked somewhat guilty as she glanced around the room, her spontaneous actions catching up to her, but everyone was either laughing or smiling at her and Loki. Peering up at Loki, she smiled softly, a blush heating her cheeks at the roguish grin that was on Loki's face.

The ringing of a cell phone interrupted the light laughter, and a glance towards the kitchen revealed it to be for Bruce. After checking the number, he quickly picked it up, rolling his eyes as Tony muttered, "A flip phone? Dating _Tony Stark_, and he has a flip phone? Where did I go wrong?"

"Yes? Oh, you're coming up? All right, we'll meet you in the medical bay. See you down there. OK, bye." Bruce closed his phone, looking pointedly at Tony as it clicked shut, a shadow of a smirk on his lips. Tony just rolled his eyes before gesturing for Bruce to speak.

"Well, she's here, so I suppose we should head down there. Well, maybe not all of us," Bruce said quickly, as everyone _except_ Echo and Loki surged to their feet. At the disappointment on their faces, Bruce sighed, "Look, it's exciting and all, but Echo needs to stay relaxed and I doubt having eight people surrounding her as she's asked questions will be a good environment."

"I'll update you on everything that goes on afterwards, and if anything exciting happens, I'll be sure to call you all in, OK?" Echo said, winking at her teammates with a grin. Loki stood, holding a hand out for her, and although she didn't need help yet, Echo accepted it with a smile.

Walking calmly to the elevator, Bruce and Loki in tow, Echo heard the others shuffle around to do something as they waited. Turning around as she entered the elevator, she called out, "We'll be right back! Do not despair!" She raised her free hand in a fist as she said that, much to the others' delight, and Loki laughed at her carefree actions.

The elevator ride was quick, but Loki noticed how Echo had begun to tense up slightly. The hand that still held his had tightened its grip, and Loki slowly rubbed the top of it to sooth her. "Echo?"

She looked up at him, the smile ever present on her face, but Loki could see the worry within her eyes as well. "Do not let your nerves overcome you. We're right here beside you, remember."

"She's just going to ask you a few questions, determine your due date, make sure you are both fine – it'll all be on your time, so there's no need to be that anxious." At Bruce's calming words, Echo let out a deep breath, nodding her thanks.

Loki placed an arm around her waist, and pulled her gently against his side. As she wrapped her arm around him as well, his hand found her stomach automatically, and Loki couldn't stop the small smile from forming on his face.

He probably looked like a fool, but as Bruce was the only other one with them, Loki did not care in the slightest. As it was, Bruce only glanced at them a few times, smiling fondly at their pose.

As they walked into the medical bay, Loki immediately spotted a kind looking older woman sitting in the newly modified section of the room. Tony had ordered the equipment they would need, and it had been delivered and set up almost the same day. Everything that would be crucial to monitoring Echo and the child were ready to go, and Loki hoped again that things would go smoothly.

Looking back at the woman, Loki took in her appearance. She had light grey hair, pulled up into a bun, and had a pair of spectacles hanging around her neck. A broad smile covered her face, warm blue eyes looking over at them, and she wore the usual lab coat over a pair of casual dark blue pants and a white blouse. Overall, she looked well enough, and Loki deemed her acceptable to be Echo's doctor.

As they approached the doctor, she stood up, holding up her hand to greet them. "Hello, I'm Dr. Nemes, but you can call me Lisa if you'd like." Shaking Bruce's hand first, she turned to Echo and said, "I hear we're going to be dealing with quite a _unique_ pregnancy? Well, don't worry – after looking after Bruce for so long, nothing comes as much of a surprise anymore."

Loki's eyebrows raised in surprise at hearing that this was Bruce's personal doctor, but a bit of relief went through his body as well. Since she was more accustomed to strange circumstances, perhaps their journey would not be as stressful as he had thought. Loki blinked back to reality as Lisa faced him, asking, "So, I presume you are the father?"

Loki nodded as he shook her hand, and she looked back at Echo with a grin. "Well, my dear, you can't have done much better! You certainly have good taste!" Echo let out a surprised laugh, a light blush coloring her cheeks, but Bruce merely sighed, obviously used to his doctors' personality.

'_Oh, I certainly like this woman now,'_ Loki thought smugly, a smirk working its way onto his face. Lisa laughed at Echo's reaction, before saying, "Okay, let's start the process then, shall we?"

Loki followed Echo closely, sitting beside the bed that Lisa asked her to lie down on. Bruce sat a little away from them, while Lisa took out the supplies she would need. Putting on her glasses, she peered at a paper, muttering under her breath for a moment.

Placing the paper down and taking off the glasses again, she looked back up at them with a smile. "All right, first I'd like to know how you are feeling, Echo. Any aches or pains yet, or other unusual symptoms you didn't have before?"

Echo sat in thought for a moment, before replying, "Not that I can think of. Well, I _have_ been in pain, but that was due to other circumstances." Lisa nodded her head, smile fading slightly, and Loki wondered if Bruce had told her the entire story. It would certainly be better than having Echo tell and relive it again.

"But since I've healed, thanks to Loki's magic," Echo gestured towards him, and Loki watched the doctor as she showed no sign of surprised yet again. She certainly _was_ desensitized from being Bruce's doctor. "I have not felt any more pain or aches. The other usual symptoms of pregnancy haven't hit me either yet."

Lisa was taking notes as she listened to Echo, and looked up again once Echo stopped talking. "Yes, those others will probably hit you within the next few weeks. This is your first time being pregnant, correct?" Echo gave a small nod, smiling softly as Loki took hold of her hand.

"Well, I'll give you an overview of the symptoms then. These include morning sickness and nausea, fatigue, food aversion, mood swings, and the frequent need to urinate. I'll give you a list of what you can do to relieve the pain, tiredness, and such. And if you have any other questions, you can always call me."

Loki snapped his head over to Bruce as he said, "Yes, she'll be living in an apartment just a few blocks down. If there's any emergency or problem, Dr. Nemes will be able to come over immediately." Lisa nodded her in agreement, smiling at Loki and Echo.

"Now, let's try and see when you should be expecting your little tyke," Lisa exclaimed happily, taking out a few more papers and replacing her glasses on her nose. "Now, dear, when did your last menstrual cycle start?"

"Umm, I think it was on May 25th," Echo said, after counting on her fingers and looking at a calendar Lisa provided.

Lisa circled the day, then proceeded to work out the estimated due date. Finally, she said, "So, we're shooting for a late February baby, if all goes well. Of course, you are not like us, yes?"

She had directed the question at Loki, and he said calmly, "No, I am of a different realm entirely. I do not know as of yet how that will affect Echo's pregnancy, but be assured I will be returning home to gather information soon. Once I know more, you will be notified immediately." Satisfied with his answer, Lisa nodded once and turned back to speak with Echo.

The rest of the appointment dealt with Echo having a physical, asking more questions of Echo's general feelings, and telling them what to expect at certain stages of the pregnancy. When it was over, Loki stood up and shook Lisa's hand again. "Thank you for your help. I am truly relieved to have such a doctor to help Echo through this."

"Oh, it's nothing. Happy to be of service," Lisa laughed, turning to Echo again. "Remember, if you have any questions, feel free to call me. If not, then we'll talk at our next appointment."

"Thank you, Lisa. I'll keep that in mind," Echo said, hugging the elder lady good-bye. While Bruce went to walk his friend out, Loki and Echo headed back to the elevator to speak to the others as promised.

Once in the elevator, Loki turned to Echo, pulling her gently into his arms. Tilting her face up with a finger under her chin, he asked, "How are you feeling, love?"

She smiled up at him, enjoying being close to him as always, and said, "Much better. Definitely relieved."

Kissing her on the forehead, Loki whispered, "And I as well. We'll make it through this, you'll see."

Echo went onto her tiptoes to claim his lips in a soft kiss, which he eagerly reciprocated. Holding her close, one hand on the small of her back, Loki's other hand lowered down to her belly. Caressing it gently, he broke the kiss to whisper to Echo, "I'm new to being a father, but I promise you that I will be the best that I can be."

Keeping her forehead pressed against his, Echo whispered back, "I _know _you will be. I love you, Loki." He smiled softly, before claiming those soft lips in another tender kiss.

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**All righty, how was that for the first chapter? Hopefully not as bad as I think it is, hehe. Just seems a bit choppy to me, but oh well. Again, I'm sorry this is late, but thank you so much for your patience! :) The next update should be up either Monday or Tuesday – it'll take a bit, but I'll get back into the routine! :D As always, take care, and enjoy the weekend!**

**-Ana :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**All righty, I had a bit of trouble with this one (thus the day late), but I managed to figure out how much to put into this chapter, and hopefully now it goes over well. I was overjoyed to see how many people continued reading my story, and getting your reviews was beyond fantastic – I'm truly honored to hear how much you all liked the first part. :)**

**To my guest reviewers:**  
**Selia: **Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! :)**  
Crimson: **I'm getting back into the routine, so updates should be within 4 days of each other like before. Happy to hear you're liking my story!**  
ZRe: **Oh my gosh, I didn't think you were rude at all! That review made my day, believe me. I'm glad to hear you're getting a FF account, and I like the option of ZombieReader as a name – your reason behind it is super cute and funny, I think that's great. :D  
**  
If I could, I'd give you all hugs, but all I can do is send it virtually, hehe. Thanks to my faithful readers, followers, those who've favorited **_**already**_** amazingly so, and my reviewers - DoctorLokiLove, Selia, Loki'sdreamer, Crimson, ZombieReader, BadWolf7673 – for your continued support! :) Okay, on with the story! :D**

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Taking a sip of his tea, Loki took another deep breath as he gathered the energy he would need to travel with Thor to Asgard again. A simple trip like that did not require much, but he would prefer not to arrive worn out either way.

After Echo's appointment two days ago, Loki had looked through the books he had brought back last time, to see if they contained any information that was useful to their predicament. However, despite pouring over every page, he did not find anything that could help them.

'_Those scrolls had better be easy to find. I do not fancy the idea of scouring through those dust-ridden shelves for days on end.'_ Looking towards the entrance of the kitchen, a smile crossed Loki's face as Echo stumbled into the room. She had one hand over her mouth as she yawned, waving slowly with her other hand as Thor boomed out a greeting.

Loki winced at Thor's usual loudness, as Tony grumbled into his mug at how it shouldn't be possible for people to be so noisy. "You know, some people are trying to settle down for the night, Thor. Do you really want to wake _Natasha_ after she just went to bed?"

Loki raised an amused eyebrow as his brother actually paled at the thought, tempted to wake the assassin in a way that would point toward Thor. But then he remembered how she was the _last_ person to fall for his tricks, and knew that it would end badly for himself. Loki shook his head at how a mere mortal caused two Gods such fear.

At that point, Echo joined them at the table with her plate of toast and tea. Finishing his own drink, Loki stood and watched as Echo looked slightly disappointed. "I'm sorry Echo, but I have to know more of my background. I will only look for the most important stuff for now, and so will be back in a few days."

Echo's face immediately smoothed out, a smile breaking through, and she said quickly, "It's all right, I understand. Anyways, this way you can tell your parents the news too. I'm sure your mom will be excited at least."

Loki grinned as he imagined how exuberant Frigga will be at hearing she was to be a grandmother. He did not know how Odin would react, but only hoped it would be for the better. _'Better get it over with sooner than later.'_

Putting his dishes away, motioning to Thor to finish up his evening snack, Loki walked back around the table to be beside Echo. Leaning down, he claimed her lips in a tender kiss, running his tongue over her lips to gain entrance. Breaking away, Loki smiled as Echo said, "I hope that'll hold you until you get back."

"Best have another to make sure," he replied easily, his smile broadening as she rose slightly to capture his lips again. "Hmm, that's better. I think I can manage the trip now." The grin she shot him was incredibly heart-warming, and Loki still had a huge smile on his face when he transported himself and Thor to Asgard a few minutes later.

Loki managed to send them inside the palace this time, and found it incredibly amusing and a bit exasperating that their mother was already walking towards them. _'Does she have a sense for when we will visit, as our mother?'_ Of course it _had_ only been coincidence that she was walking through that hall when they appeared, but Loki enjoyed toying with that notion every now and then.

"My boys! Why are you back so soon? Is everything all right?" Holding them one after another at arm's length, Frigga looked them over despite their protests. Deeming them well and healthy, she finally gave them hugs in greeting.

"We are simply back for more information, mother. Our visit will be short as it was last time, I'm afraid," Loki said, carefully watching Frigga's face as she processed his words.

She seemed a bit confused, but there was something else there that Loki could not identify. "More information? Did the spells you researched last time not work as you needed them to?"

Frigga looked so worried that Loki was quick to reply, "No, no, the spells worked perfectly. Although our problem now _is_ related..." Looking at Thor anxiously, Loki turned back to his mother to say, "May we speak of this in a different setting? Perhaps over dinner? It's quite a long story."

Frigga immediately perked up, exclaiming, "Oh of course! You were to join us either way! I would never let you take dinner in your quarters – you could not do it when you were young, and you still aren't allowed." Loki rolled his eyes at Frigga's words, although a smile similar to hers was forming on his face nonetheless.

Walking beside Thor to the grand hall, their mother leading them as she had always done, Loki suddenly felt the need to grasp her hand as he had as a child. The anxiety of becoming a father rose abruptly, perhaps because he was about to inform his parents of that, and when he was scared as a child he would always run to his mother. He knew that the others had ridiculed him for it, but she was one he had always been able to trust.

However, as they entered the hall and took in the long table crowded with warriors and others, Loki glanced over at Thor and was relieved to see that knowing and understanding smile on his face. Taking a deep breath, Loki walked to the head of the table, sitting beside his brother as Frigga sat beside Odin across from them.

After they had made their plates and begun eating, Frigga leaned forward slightly to be heard over the conversations throughout the rest of the table, and asked, "So, to what do we owe this pleasure, boys? I want to hear all that has happened, never mind that I saw you just the other day."

For once his silvertongue failed him as Loki tried to find the right way to start. However, he was saved as Frigga continued, "Also, how is your teammate, the one that required the spells? How is she faring?" Loki both cursed and praised Yggdrasil for making his mother so intuitive. He could not have asked for a better opening.

"That is actually the purpose of our journey. We require more information on the Jötnar due to a..._condition_ that ails that same teammate." At the alarmed looks on his parents' faces, Loki amended, "She is perfectly healthy at the moment, although we would prefer to know more before any changes occur."

"You know I enjoy your riddles Loki, but please, take pity on your mother and tell us what is going on."

Glancing at Thor one last time, Loki took one more breath, and faced his parents again. "You are going to be grandparents." Before they could react other than their mouths going slack, Loki pushed on to say, "It came as a surprise to us as well, but after getting over the initial shock, I have already fallen in love with our unborn child and I could not be happier."

There was a small silence, and Loki watched his parents' expressions intently. Frigga was the first to react, and the ecstatic laugh and shining smile that accompanied it made warmth arise in Loki's heart not unlike when he found out he was to be a father.

Odin was known for being stoic, but for those who knew how to look, there were small instances when his façade would crack. Seeing that small half smile on his father's face, his one eye betraying the happiness he felt, lifted such a weight from Loki's shoulders it nearly overwhelmed him.

"Oh Loki, that is fantastic news! I am so happy for you!" Loki watched in amusement as Frigga walked around the table to give him a huge hug, placing a kiss on his cheek before going back to her seat. "I demand to hear the entire story, starting with how you met this girl."

A grin working its way onto his face, Loki laughed, "It seems both Thor and I have a knack for unorthodox first meetings. The first time I laid my eyes on my lover, a Miss Echo Valentina, she was attempting to burn me in the midst of battle."

With Thor adding a comment every now and then, Loki launched into his story eagerly. Halfway throughout, he realized that he had not stopped smiling since the beginning. Taking a moment to place his current emotion, Loki realized that in retelling their story, he was falling in love with Echo all over again.

By the time Loki had gotten to their huge fight, he glanced around only to be surprised to see that only he, Thor and their parents were left at the table. The hall was dark except for a wide area around them, and most of the guards had left for the night already.

Taking a much needed drink of water, Loki looked back at Odin as he asked, "How did you resolve the conflict with Echo? What happened once the archer returned with her?"

Sighing deeply, shutting his eyes as memories of Echo's beaten and bloody body flooded his mind, Loki rubbed his forehead wearily. "Well, it did not go as smoothly as we wanted. An old enemy of ours made his presence known, and Echo was nearly taken from me forever."

"Which enemy? Were you able to defeat him when you saved your love?" Frigga asked, worry clearly written on her face.

Gathering strength as Thor placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, Loki said, "It was the same enemy who had forced me to attack Midgard two years ago. The Other is back, and is still alive and strong now, as at the moment Echo's health was my top priority."

Leaving out the gruesome details, Loki painfully relived Echo's torture as he told his parents what had occurred that day. However, as Loki told them how his teammates, Thor included, had worked their hardest to bring Echo's spirits up, a bit of joy worked its way back into him.

"As I had been broken, so was Echo. But instead of succumbing to the memories, I used that experience to help bring my lover back to her former strength and happiness. Although, we nearly lost her again once she realized she was pregnant, the fear that she may have been carrying Phoenix's child pulling her down."

"The Other attacked us again very recently, casting a spell over Echo without my prior realization, and it was then that the news was revealed to myself and the others. I was able to break the Other's hold on her, but he was able to escape yet again. I am still searching for him, but no such luck thus far."

Looking seriously at first his mother and then father, Loki brought up the subject that had been bothering him since knowing of Echo's pregnancy. "I am..._concerned_ about how Echo's body will react to carrying a half-Jotun child, thus the main purpose of our trip today."

"However, I am also in need of assistance for another problem. How I may lengthen Echo's mortal lifespan, so that my child does not have to live without a mother...and _I_ do not have to lose her either."

"I know that Thor has the same concern as I," Loki said slightly louder, to make sure the words went through. "And we would both appreciate it if you took this matter as seriously as we do."

There was a moment of silence, so thick that Loki could almost hear the beating of his own heart. Swallowing, Loki glanced over at Thor to gauge his reaction, and was relieved to see he was looking at their parents with as much seriousness as the situation called for. He was not prepared to go through this alone.

Sighing, Odin straightened up, Loki and Thor leaning forward slightly at his movement. "I understand how much these women mean to you, but granting immortality is not something to be taken lightly. If each mortal lover that ever existed was given this boon, immortality would not be as much of a gift as it is."

Anger filled Loki's body, and a quick glance at Thor's clenched jaw and fists proved he felt the same. "These _women_ are not the usual lovers that we 'gods' take a night at a time, never to see them again for the rest of their lives. These are the loves of our lives! Does that mean nothing to you?" He said, his annoyance at Odin's words leaking through.

"We would never ask something that carries such gravity if it were not incredibly important to us, father," Thor said, Loki nodding his head in agreement.

"If I do allow them to eat the apples of Eden, making them immortal, what am I to do once you tire of them? Simply send them back to Midgard, stripping them of their longevity beforehand? I refuse to allow you to make a decision that will only satisfy you in the near future."

Loki stood, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "How _dare_ you? Echo is going to be the _mother of my children_! I will _never_ tire of her – the longest lifetime with her by my side is not enough. I cannot bear losing her indefinitely, having almost lost her in numerous occasions, not when I have the chance to keep her from that fate."

Glaring at Odin, Loki spat harshly, "If you do not help me, I am sure I can find another way to keep Echo from dying. It may not be as preferable as the apples, but I _will _make it happen, whether you want it or not."

Odin started to rise out of his chair, his face turning red in anger, but Frigga quickly intervened. Keeping a hand on Odin's shoulder, she shared a meaningful look with him until he slowly sank back down. Turning to a still standing Loki and frustrated Thor, Frigga said firmly, "It seems this will be a sensitive subject, but we will decide on something to gratify all of us."

"For now, however, I think it best that we retire for the night and settle down. Tomorrow, we will reconvene and talk calmly about this until it is resolved. I will not have our family torn apart again over something we can settle once we stop behaving rashly, lashing out without thinking our words through."

Taking a deep breath, Loki exhaled slowly to calm his thudding heart. "All right Mother. You are right, of course." Walking around to place a kiss on Frigga's cheek, Loki pointedly ignored Odin as he made his way across the hall, willing himself to remain calm until he reached his quarters.

* * *

If anyone heard the frustrated yells coming from the forest throughout the night – blinding flashes of light followed by huge explosions as trees were obliterated – they made a silent agreement not to mention it to anyone.

* * *

**So, hopefully that was OK! There's a bit of tension, as expected, but it won't turn out too badly, I promise. Let me know if I should change something, if you have any suggestions.**

**Oh, and I have a question for you guys! What would you like Loki and Echo to have? The options are a boy or twins (either two boys, or a boy and girl). You can either vote on the poll on my profile, or you can send it in with a review – either works fine! :D If you'd like to think a bit, that's fine too. I'll let you know the last time you're allowed to cast a vote. :D**

**Again, I'm sorry this is a bit late, but I'm trying to get back into the game, hehe. If all goes well, expect an update on Sunday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good grief, I was nearly overwhelmed by the number of reviews – thank you DoctorLokiLove, ZombieReader, MidnightDarkskiesbluemoon, Spottedivy, and Loki'sdreamer – favorites, and follows I received since my last update! I was simply amazed when each time I opened my inbox there were another few notifications from you guys! Thank you so much for your support! :D**

**I'm sorry this is late – firstly, it was a bit difficult for me, because I wanted to portray the characters the right way and yesterday my muse abandoned me no matter how much I begged it to stay. :P So, I decided to leave it for the night (it was about 11:47PM by the time I finally stopped trying, about a third into the chapter, so it would have been late either way), and now I'm jumping into it again. I promise that I won't be getting to the habit of being late each update!**

* * *

The large doors to the royal chambers slammed open, the crashing booms resonating against the walls as loud footsteps echoed underneath them. The Allfather stormed into the room, anger clearly written across his face. The much calmer Queen followed him, watching with concern as he paced the room furiously.

Closing the doors behind her, Frigga made her way to one of the many lounge chairs arranged around the room. Sitting down, her hands clasped neatly in her lap, she looked up to see that Odin had stopped and was now staring crossly into the distance.

Taking a moment to look at her husband, Frigga could see that he was struggling to reign in his temper. Although he was mainly upset over the argument with his sons, thus ruining the evening, she knew he was worried at what Loki had said as well.

Eating the apples of Eden was the safest and most preferable way to grant immortality. However, there were different ways to make someone immortal, mostly complex potions...or agreements with the Dark Elves from Svartalfheim. When Loki insinuated doing something so rash and dangerous, Frigga understood why Odin had become so upset.

Her own heart had stopped at the thought of losing her son to those tricky Elves. She had just gotten her youngest son back two years earlier, and their relationships were mending wonderfully. Frigga had been overjoyed to hear that Loki was expecting a child, and the way his eyes had shone while speaking of this Echo had made it quite obvious that he was deeply in love with her.

Placing her chin in her hand, Frigga looked back at Odin, who was still deep in thought a little ways from where she was sitting. Naturally, Odin had completely missed how lovestruck their son was, but she knew he _was_ happy to hear he was to be a grandfather. Then he had had to ruin the moment by suggesting that Loki and Thor's lovers were mere playthings that they would soon tire of.

Frigga herself had become angry at his words, and at being so blind to his own son's feelings. She knew Thor had nearly died to save this young lady he had just met, and recently he had confided in his mother that he wanted to make Jane his wife. But, much to her discontent, he had asked her not to tell his father until he was ready.

Earlier that night, when Loki had asked about the immortality, Frigga had seen how carefully Thor was watching Odin as well. The anger and disbelief that had crossed their faces after Odin's refusal was immediate and Frigga knew that this would be difficult to get through. However, after dealing with these sorts of arguments between her sons and husband her entire life, she felt more than prepared.

Clearing her throat softly, Odin blinked and slowly turned his head towards her. Placing her hands back in her lap, Frigga said calmly, "I do believe that could have gone better."

Turning completely towards her, Odin said gruffly, "How else could I have dealt with them? You know what I say is true – immortality is a sacred gift. And I cannot simply grant these two mortals that with a naïve promise from our sons that they will be together forever."

Resuming his pacing, Odin continued to say, "How can they know that they will not tire of those girls? I cannot acquiesce to their request, moreover without proof that it will be worth it."

Finally allowing her anger to be shown, Frigga said firmly, "You require proof? At an earlier visit, our son, Thor, revealed to me his plan to marry that _girl_ Jane. You do remember when they had just met, he was willing to sacrifice himself in order for his newfound love to live?"

Looking rather crossly at her husband, who was pointedly avoiding eye contact, Frigga pushed forward. "And now your other son has finally found someone that he wants to spend the rest of his life with, and you would _refuse _him of that? Would you like to lose him again? For I will _not_ lose Loki over something as trivial as this."

At this point, Odin was staring at the ground, apparently unable to find the right words after Frigga's rant. Heaving a great sigh, he looked ahead, saying, "You know I do not want to lose Loki again. And I am greatly saddened that Thor would go to you but not me. Now that I look back on my actions however, I do understand why he made that choice."

"Perhaps I should have controlled my temper, but my answer still remains the same. Unless it is clear that our sons shall remain by those mortals, the apples of Eden shall remain locked in their orchard."

Frigga knew that her eyes were shiny with tears, but she could care less. She had been so happy to hear of Loki's lover, and the news that she was to become a grandmother nearly overwhelmed her. But now it seemed all the happiness that had accompanied that moment was swept away by this argument.

Gathering a breath, she said as steadily as she could, "How can you not see that they are in _love_? Were we not the same when we were young? Were we in their position, I know you would not have asked and we would have been married already. Your sons respect you enough to ask permission first, but you are _betraying_ them like this."

"I am sorry," Odin said, walking towards Frigga now. He placed his hands on her shoulders, looking down at her sad face for a moment. "But I cannot. I am giving them a _chance_, which is more than I would have received. Do not make this any more difficult than it is, Frigga."

A fire sparked within her eyes, and Odin nearly stumbled back as Frigga surged to her feet. "I am trying to _simplify_ this. _You_ are complicating this affair. And you had better make it up to your sons, if not for my own or their sake, then for yours. For I can assure you that they will not be satisfied with your response."

Pivoting on her heel, Frigga strode out of the room before he could retort, feeling as if a huge weight was off of her shoulders after that outburst. Odin watched her back until she turned a corner, then sighed deeply, a hand coming up to rub at his forehead wearily.

* * *

Loki gathered a quick breath before shooting the ball of energy towards yet another tree. Splinters flew everywhere, littering the already covered ground, some impaling themselves into other trees. A few flew toward Loki, but he radiated so much anger that the pieces of wood burnt before ever coming close to his body.

Turning around, Loki shot one energy ball after another, circling and leaping in an effort to get rid of his anger. He didn't care if he destroyed the whole forest in order to calm down – better the trees than his father.

Being so blatantly refused like that, and implying that his love for Echo was just a fleeting thing and that he would soon tire of her had been too much for Loki. He had thought that his and Thor's request would be accepted, but instead they had been called insincere and naïve. He hoped that his mother would talk some sense into Odin, but he knew there was only so much she could do.

Suddenly he felt wetness on his cheeks, and Loki reached up to find that tears had fallen unbidden from his eyes. The fury at his father, and worry and stress that he may yet lose Echo, strengthened until he felt he would burst. Harsh sobs fell from his lips, and though he tried, he could not concentrate enough to gather his magic.

After another failed attempt, Loki took a deep breath, clenching his fists so tight he drew blood in his palms, and looked up at the starlit sky. The silence of the night was interrupted as Loki let out his anger in the only way that was left. Yelling long and loud, the sound one of pure rage, he fell heavily to his hands and knees as all his strength left him.

His body wracking with sobs, Loki laid his forehead against his still clenched fists. _'Oh Echo, I am so sorry. I tried my best, but as ever, I have failed you. Please forgive me.'_ The sound of slowly approaching footsteps startled him out of his thoughts, and Loki looked to the side to see Thor.

Raising himself to his knees slowly, his body now devoid of energy, Loki wiped his eyes angrily. Trying to calm his breathing, he looked at the ground in front of him to keep from seeing Thor's most probably disapproving face.

He was surprised then when Thor knelt beside him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Looking up at Thor with wide, still moist eyes, Loki saw that Thor's own eyes were slightly red, as if he had been upset as well. It was only natural – his love had been denied the apples as well.

Thus, when Thor pulled him into a hug, Loki allowed his arms to rise up and wrap themselves around Thor's back as well. They would usually go to their mother for comfort at times like these, but as she was dealing with the reason for their distress, they would have to be there for each other.

So they knelt, long into the night – two great Gods, brothers, the warrior and the mage – rocking slowly back and forth as they gathered the strength they would need to face the Allfather, and stand up for their loves.

* * *

**So, I hope that wasn't too rushed. I know it's a lot shorter than usual, but I just decided to put in a bit of their point of view, and I tried my best! Let me know what I should improve or change. I'll be updating again on Friday! (I **_**promise**_**!) :D Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, I'm back on time this time! Thank you all for continuing to read, thanks DoctorLokiLove and Loki'sdreamer for reviewing, and to everyone else who has favorited/followed! :D I hope this chapter is to your liking!**

* * *

The slam of a book was heard, the clap echoing throughout the vast library. A small cloud of dust rose from behind a shelf, and the sound of coughing interrupted the silence. Heated muttering and a curse followed soon after.

Pushing yet another book back onto the shelf, Loki brushed angrily at the dust that settled on his shoulders. "Damn it all, is there _no_ information on the Jötnar?" Running a hand through his long hair, Loki rubbed the back of his head as he thought of where else he could search.

However, with an exasperated sigh, Loki lowered his hand as no other place came to mind. Of course, his mother was trying to help him by looking through the scrolls deeper in the palace. That morning had been tense, to say the least, even though his _father_ had not joined them for breakfast.

'_Obviously, he is unable to handle facing Thor and I after insulting us like that,'_ Loki scoffed, walking down the aisle to another set of shelves. Scanning the books in front of him, he noticed that they looked familiar. Glancing around as he walked back into the aisle, Loki groaned in frustration as he realized that he had gone around the entire library.

Shoulders slumping minutely, Loki rubbed his forehead wearily as he fought to contain himself. Hearing the door of the library open, Loki immediately straightened himself up, picking a book off the shelf to hide his near collapse.

Assuming it was either Frigga or Thor coming to help, he called, "I do hope you are having better luck than I. _Nothing_ here seems to contain any useful information of the Jöt–" Looking up as the footsteps came closer, Loki broke off when he saw Odin standing a few feet away from him.

Regaining his voice, Loki asked curtly, "Yes, _Father_. Did you require anything of mine? If you are searching for an apology, then you have come to the wrong person. Although I doubt Thor will forgive you so easily this time either."

Gazing evenly back at Loki, Odin merely remained where he stood for a moment, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. Fighting the urge to turn and leave, Loki stood tall and calmly as he waited for Odin to speak. _'That is, if he has enough to courage to do so. He has hurt his sons in a way that cannot be fixed so easily,'_ Loki thought, keeping his face blank despite wanting to antagonize the man in front of him.

As if Odin could read his mind, he gave a great sigh before stating, "I understand that you and Thor are upset with me, and why. However, I will not apologize for the decision I had to make, for it was the correct one."

Loki fumed, but Odin quickly cut in before he could interrupt. "But, I at least gave you a chance to show your love is true. Many of the kings before me would have forbidden you from _ever_ seeing your lover again, due to her mortality. Despite my reaction to your request, I _am_ overjoyed to hear that you have found someone so special."

Loki scoffed, folding his arms and looking away as Odin continued speaking. "You and Thor have every reason not to believe me, you in particular. But you must believe me, for it is your only chance to gain the apples for each of your lovers."

Turning sharply back to look at his father's face, Loki frowned as he tried to find the right words. Attempting to form the question correctly, he eventually spat in frustration, "Why are we given this _chance_, instead of being allowed the apples immediately? If you cannot realize how much these women mean to Thor and me, then you are truly an incompetent fool."

Expecting an angry response, Loki was surprised when Odin simply sighed wearily, looking down for a second. "Perhaps I am a fool. I have done so much wrong by you, despite my attempts at raising you and Thor similarly," he said in an unexpectedly soft voice. Loki was frozen in shock, not knowing what to say after that statement.

In the end, he did not have to speak, as Odin looked back up at him to say, "I truly wish I could gift your lovers with immortality, but I simply cannot. The law requires that the god asking for the apple spend one year with their mortal lover, having a spell placed on both which will show if their love is pure or not by the end of that year."

Throwing his hands up in exasperation, Loki said angrily, "But a year may be too late for that! What if something happens to Echo throughout the pregnancy and the apple is the only thing that can save her? Will you deny me even then?" Odin's answer was crucial to how Loki would view him after this. Even with all his anger, Loki hoped that his father would answer in a way that could help their relationship.

As it was, Odin surprised Loki yet again. Finally walking towards him, Odin brought his hands in front of him, revealing that he held two large books. Holding them out for Loki to take, he said, "I felt these would be of use to you, after you had told us of your predicament. I had these written when you were still young, so that we could care for you in the appropriate manner."

Taking the leather-bound books with a frown, Loki traced the intricate designs on the spine before flipping one open to scan briefly. Pausing as he truly took in what he saw, Loki looked up at his father in astonishment. He was met with a simple smile, as Odin said, "I know this is not enough for an apology, but I do hope you come to realize how happy I am for you, and that I await my grandchild's birth eagerly."

Clapping a hand on Loki's shoulder, Odin looked at Loki seriously for a moment. "If you love her as strongly as you say, then by the year's end, there will be no problem. I have faith in you, and when the time comes, I will open the orchard gates myself."

Swallowing thickly, it was all Loki could manage to nod his thanks, smiling slightly in return. Clearing his throat, Odin said suddenly, "I will now visit your brother, and inform him of the situation with the apples. Be sure to look through the books carefully, as they contain a great load of information."

As Odin was walking away, Loki suddenly found his voice, and called out, "Father!" That obviously gave him a shock, as he started before turning around with a look of amazement. "Thank you, for these," Loki said softly, gesturing to the books. "And for...what you said. Your words truly meant a lot."

His courage spent, Loki stared at the ground in front of his father rather than his eyes. A small smile crossed his face though, when Odin said, "You are my son. And despite being a poor father in the start, I am trying to amend that now. There are no thanks necessary."

Loki kept his eyes on the floor until he heard the library door open and close again, then looked back at the books in amazement. Quickly making his way to one of the armchairs in the center of the room, Loki sat and immediately began skimming one of his new books.

There were facts upon facts on the Jötnar, from terrible diseases to cures, to the simpler yet complex anatomy of a Jotun and the different functions of each organ. That was mainly the same as a human, although Loki noticed there were some differences in a female Jotun than a female human. He would have to look further into that later on.

There was also a section focused mainly on mating and reproduction, including interspecies relations, and Loki felt a large weight rise off of his shoulders. Looking through the other book just as sparsely, he allowed himself to breathe a huge sigh of relief, covering his eyes as he collapsed against the back of the chair.

Looking at the ceiling for a moment, Loki found his strength again and arranged himself in a comfortable position. He would be there quite a while after all, as he opened to the first page of the tome-like book.

* * *

Later on, after a much calmer dinner than the night before, it was with a lighter heart that Loki and Thor said their farewells to their parents.

Hugging Frigga tightly, Loki whispered, "Thank you, mother. For whatever you said to Odin to change his mind. I will never be able to show my entire gratitude."

Running her fingers through his hair slowly, Frigga said back just as softly, "I just gave him a push in the right direction. His love for you helped him make the right decision. Never forget that."

Standing up tall as Frigga went to say goodbye to Thor, Loki held out a hand in farewell to Odin. Trying to find the right words to say, he finally settled on, "Thank you, father."

Squeezing his hand slightly, Odin merely gave his small half-smile, his eye glinting with happiness. Stepping away to be beside Thor, Loki gathered his energy, looking up when Odin said, "I will have Heimdall watching for any sight of the Other, and we shall inform you of any activity."

Frigga also put in, "Remember to make all the necessary requirements to cast the spell correctly, and I hope for the best! I love you, boys!"

With their mother waving them off and Odin giving them his half-smile, Loki found himself smiling like a fool as he transported himself and Thor back to the Tower, his heart much lighter than it had ever been.

* * *

**Okey-dokey, I do hope that was acceptable. I really tried not to make their interactions mushy and all, but sorry if I failed. :P Oh, and keep voting! Right now, there seems to be a clear winner, but there's still time if you'd like to vote and haven't already. You never know, things can change pretty quickly! I'll be updating on Tuesday! Take care everyone, and have a fantastic weekend!**

**-Ana :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there everyone! I hope you're all to a good start of the week! :) Thanks to all my readers for their continuous support, along with those who've reviewed – DoctorLokiLove, Loki'sdreamer – who've favorited and followed! It means a lot! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

Loki raised his head from where he had been scouring a spell book as another spiel of giggling burst from the living room. He had been focusing on the specifics of the 'love spell', as the others had named it, so that everything went well. Shaking his head as more laughter reached his ears, an amused smile crossed his lips as he recalled how just this morning Jane and Echo's friendship had shot off.

Echo had been nervous, naturally so, and when Loki had arrived with Thor, Jane, and Darcy – rather than have them take a plane and make him wait longer to cast the spell – it was realized that Jane was just as anxious. Loki had met Jane on separate occasions, but never more than for a few minutes at a time. He was concerned as well as to how his lover and his brothers' would react to each other.

However, he needn't have worried. After getting over their initial shyness, Echo's pregnancy was brought up, which made for a rather surprisingly effective ice breaker.

"_Are you going to have some super weird symptoms or something, since you're with a 'Yo-ton'? Did you get any yet?" Darcy asked, as curious and frank as always. Jane nudged her and whispered the correct pronunciation, but she was ignored as Darcy kept her big eyes on Echo._

"_No, I haven't so far. And I hope not! I think dizziness and morning sickness, among the others, are bad enough, don't you?" Echo exclaimed, shuddering playfully at the thought of more intense symptoms._

_Loki had winced at that comment, though hid it from the others, for he had already read of some symptoms that Echo may get due to her Midgardian nature. He would have to speak with Echo and her doctor about them, but for now he kept quiet._

_Loki eased out of his own thoughts just in time to hear Jane say, "I don't know, can you imagine carrying a mini God of Thunder for nine months? You know how big and strong Thor is – his kid probably wouldn't be much different."_

"_Yeah, I think you're better off with Mr. Sexy, Dark and Mysterious over there, especially with those mile-long legs, I mean _damn_," Darcy said, laughing as Jane swatted her playfully. All three of them peered over at Loki, and when she saw he was looking back, Echo blushed a light pink._

_However, that didn't stop her from saying, "Yes, I'm _very_ well off," a mischievous gleam in her eyes as they looked him up and down. Loki could barely stop himself from walking over and snatching her away from the group to have his way with. The smirk on her lips told him that she knew exactly what he was thinking, the little minx._

_Then Jane looked to the right of Loki and said, "Oh, Thor, I still love you! Don't be silly!" Loki glanced over quickly, only to burst out laughing at the kicked puppy look that Thor was shooting towards his lover._

* * *

In hindsight, perhaps laughing outright was not the brightest thing to do. Thor had become a bit hurt, but thankfully Jane was able to calm him down quickly enough. The ladies were now in the living room, having been joined by Natasha by that point, and were waiting for Loki to finish his overview of the spell.

Sighing heavily, Loki rose out of his chair and immediately silence fell. Chuckling softly, he stated loudly, "If only I was able to elicit such a reaction _all_ the time, my life would be so much more peaceful."

As if on cue, the silence was shattered as Clint and Tony began hollering from the other side of the living room. "Yeah, well, you're not as badass and scary as you think you are!"

"Especially now that you're going to be a father! You've gone soft!" There was a collective 'ooooh' from around the room following Clint's remark, and Loki strolled over to the opening between the living room and kitchen to see exactly where the two miscreants were.

Like the cowards they were, Tony and Clint were seated on the couch farthest from Loki, making childish expressions at him. Darcy, Natasha, Jane and Echo were sprawled across the sofa facing the television, with Echo closest to him. Steve and Bucky were sitting in the remaining armchairs, and Thor and Bruce had been with him in the kitchen. And all were clearly waiting for Loki to make his move.

Grinning evilly, his grin only expanding when he caught sight of Echo rolling her eyes, Loki quickly focused his energy and transported himself across the room. Appearing behind Clint and Tony just a moment later, he nearly blew his cover as he had to stifle a laugh at the two of them looking rather desperately around for him.

Leaning down every so carefully, Loki exhaled his breath slowly so as not to make a single noise. "Boo." Clint leapt sideways so violently that he cleared the armrest, falling to the ground with a loud thud. Tony on the other hand, actually gave a surprised yelp, before jumping to his feet and spinning around with his arms raised as if he was going to blast Loki with his (nonexistent) repulsor rays.

The room burst out with laughter, and Loki felt no small amount of glee at successfully scaring the archer and the inventor. Huffing and pouting, Tony and Clint gathered the remains of their dignity around them like a cape, and left the room together.

"Aw, come back! We'll stop laughing," Echo called out, although that promise was deemed false as another laugh slipped past her lips immediately after. Meeting Loki's eyes, the pure mischief that shone within them made her wag her finger at him, pretending to be ashamed of him. Loki only feigned innocence, his grin ever present on his lips.

Once everyone was calm again, Loki made his way over to Echo and Jane. Motioning to Thor to come over as well, Loki took the women by their hands and helped them to their feet. Nudging Jane over to Thor, he took Echo's hands within his, holding them up between them. After a quick nod at his brother, Thor and Jane assumed the same position.

Releasing one of Echo's hands momentarily, Loki produced two black silk ribbons, and holding them up, addressed the room, "May one of you help us? These must be tied around our wrists securely, which is rather hard to do ourselves."

Steve and Bruce immediately stepped forward to the task, each taking a ribbon from Loki. Clasping Echo's hands within his again, Loki instructed the two on how to wrap the silk around their hands, and where the knot should be placed. "There is no room for error. You must fasten it just so, or the spell will be void."

Echo looked up at him, slightly panicked, then pursed her lips at the naughty grin on his face. Turning her head to Steve, whose hands were slightly shaking as he tried to tie the ribbon perfectly, she said calmly, "It's all right Steve. He's just joking, _as usual_."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Steve tugged the ribbon once more, then lifted his hands from theirs, saying, "It's all right. I'm done anyways." He couldn't resist smirking at Loki's amazed face as he took in how perfectly arranged the ribbon was – exactly as it was supposed to be.

Loki flexed his fingers ever so slightly, but the ribbon was tight enough to inhibit any kind of movement. Moving ever so carefully so that he was side to side with Thor, Echo and Jane across from them respectively, Loki looked their ribbon over briefly. Satisfied, Loki nodded his thanks to Steve and Bruce.

Looking at Echo and Jane, Loki said, "Now, when I perform the spell, you will feel a slight tingling. It will start in your hands, then spread up and then past your arms until you feel it in your whole body. It may seem uncomfortable at times, but you _must not move_. Even the slightest movement will disrupt the spell."

"When the magic takes hold, warmth will gather in your chest and wrists, and the ribbons will dissolve into our skin. Is everyone ready?" Echo and Jane nodded quickly, and Loki was amused to see that everyone else nodded as well. Tony and Clint had slunk back into the room at some point, and were watching the proceedings just as transfixed as the others.

Looking back at Echo, Loki took in her loving gaze, the small smile curving her lips, and found himself smiling back. Clearing his throat, Loki glanced down at their hands within the ribbon, and closed his eyes to fully concentrate.

Bringing the spell to the front of his mind, Loki took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he gathered his magic. The air fairly buzzed with the energy, and he could hear the others mutter softly about the strange feeling. To Loki however, having his magic around him had always felt as comforting as the embrace of a friend.

Going through the second portion of the spell, Loki focused his magic onto the ribbons, and almost immediately the tingling began in the tips of their fingers. Keeping his eyes closed to minimize distractions, Loki urged more of his magic into the ribbons encasing their hands.

Echo's fingers twitched minutely in his hands as the tingling suddenly spiked up their arms, and Loki tightened his grip on them immediately. _'Please, Echo. Only a bit longer.'_ Loki felt his clothes begin to rustle from the intensity of the energy around them, and knew the spell was almost complete.

Feeding more of his magic into the silk ribbons, Loki finally felt his whole body was tingling, not as unpleasant as when a limb fell asleep, but not wholly comfortable either. Taking a last deep breath, he gathered his magic and led it to the silk for the final time.

Immediately, Loki's chest was bathed in warmth, just over his heart, as were his wrists. Opening his eyes, Loki looked down to see the ribbon shimmer before seeming to sink into the soft skin of their wrists. All the energy that had collected in the air around them dissipated, and they all took a collective sigh as the tension left their bodies.

"It worked?" Echo whispered hesitantly, her big awe-filled eyes looking up at him. At his nod, a huge smile spread across her face and she practically threw herself into his arms, holding him close.

Rubbing her back, leaving a small kiss on the top of her head, Loki said softly, "And now we wait." Looking at Jane and Thor, similarly embraced as he and Echo were, he added with a smile, "Though I highly doubt the results will be less than pleasing."

Brushing his hand across her cheek, Loki slowly released Echo from his gentle grip and turned to the others. However, before he could speak as he wanted, the elevator dinged. More to everyone's surprise, Tony immediately perked up and began walking towards it.

The next moment they heard him exclaim, "Pepper, you made it!" Relieved that it was someone they all knew, Loki calmed himself, exhaling a long breath. He had met the infamous Pepper Potts on a few occasions, and knew that although she was a kind-hearted woman, she had more than enough strength to make Tony Stark himself get back in line.

They had all had their share of going toe-to-toe with Pepper, but it had never ended well for them. Despite all their powers and weapons, none of them had managed to survive a verbal match with Ms. Potts. And if she decided to team up with Agent Coulson, if the situation called for drastic measures, then they stood absolutely no chance.

As Pepper walked in, however, she had a great smile on her face. Dressed in a casual yet elegant pair of slacks, a nicely fitted white blouse on top, and flats, she did not look imposing but everyone knew from experience not to underestimate her wrath. Her eyes shone clearly with excitement, and Loki wondered what it could be.

Finding Echo quickly enough, Pepper immediately pointed to her, and said, "All right young lady, you are coming with me. We're having a ladies' day out, and I'm going to treat you to probably the best day you've had in a while, right?"

Echo looked incredibly bewildered, but managed a small nod. Beaming at her, Pepper clapped once, saying, "Okay then! I have Happy outside and ready to go, so all of you, let's go!"

Darcy was already walking over to Pepper, practically hopping with excitement, while Natasha followed more calmly, and Loki rolled his eyes at the antics of these women. Turning towards Echo again, he saw she was looking up at him. Finally having caught his attention, she asked, "Will you be all right? I'm sure you could come if I asked."

Loki laughed softly, shaking his head to decline the invitation. "No, I'd become rather bored while shopping, don't you think? I will stay here, you enjoy yourself." He dropped a soft kiss on her lips, before looking back at Pepper.

"You will have accompaniment?" He knew that Echo and Natasha would have their earpieces to notify them of any problem, but Loki would feel better if there were a few SHIELD guards staying close by as well. Despite his lack of faith towards the organization, Loki found that he had formed a sort of trust with Fury and knew that his men were responsible enough to keep his lover safe.

Pepper nodded quickly, saying, "Of course. And if anything does happen, they all have a device that will lead to JARVIS alerting you all here."

Nodding his head slowly, Loki allowed Jane to take Echo's hand and lead her away from him. With one last smile back at him, Echo disappeared into the elevator with the other women, all of whom were already laughing and chattering excitedly.

Sighing, Loki rubbed his forehead wearily before pausing, peering at his wrists closely. Although he knew there were to be no marks from the spell, _knowing_ that they had taken one more step towards making Echo, and Jane, immortal was incredible to Loki.

Looking up as Thor clapped a big hand on his shoulder, Loki smiled as Thor boomed, "You did well today, brother! I am overjoyed that you assisted me and Jane as well."

Loki only shrugged away from Thor's grip, saying casually, "You would do the same for me, would you not?" An innocent enough remark, but the way Thor beamed at him made Loki's heart swell with pride at making his brother happy.

Turning towards Tony and Bruce, before the moment became too tender, Loki said gruffly, "I require use of your projection machine. The Other is still out there, despite our wishes for his death. Will you assist me?"

"Let's do this," was all Tony said, making his way to the elevator already. Following closely behind, Loki thought grimly, _'I will find you, no matter how much I must search. And when I do, I will make you pay for every transgression you have done against me and my lover. As you have said _I _cannot hide, neither can you.'_

* * *

**I swear, the Thor soundtrack never ceases to bring me to tears. And then the finishing touch was John William's "Theme for Schindler's List" that played later on. Good lord, I need to reign it in. **_***blows nose pitifully***_** ;P**

**Hehe, aaanyways, I hope this was a good chapter – a bit longer than the others, which I tried hard to do. I'm getting back into it, and I think this chapter was a good push. :) Well, I'll be updating on **_**Friday**_**, a bit sooner than I usually would, and the reason will be explained then. Enjoy the rest of your week, and take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**All righty people, I'm back early as said previously. As usual, my big thanks to my followers, to those who've reviewed – Spottedivy, Loki'sdreamer, Liondove, and a guest who, alas, did not leave an alias – your support is very much appreciated! I'm sorry this chapter is not as early as I wanted it to be, but I've been **_**extremely **_**busy today (the reason is explained further in the end notes). For now though, enjoy this update! :)**

* * *

Echo looked around in awe, absolutely amazed with how _colorful_ everything was. The majority of this level of the store was filled with baby and toddler clothes, but the other few floors had men's and women's selections as well.

The rows closest to her were filled with early infantry, with cute little onesies, miniature outfits and suits, and tiny shoes. There were also toys, necessary equipment such as bottles, diapers and such, and helpful books for mothers and fathers alike. All in all, properly stocked for the nervous soon-to-be mother still standing near the entrance.

Just looking around, Echo knew that _nothing_ in this store would come cheap. Walking over to the nearest rack, she thumbed through a few articles of clothing. Despite feeling a bit off at being in such a high-ranking store, Echo couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

'_I'm going to be a mommy, the love of my life has fought for me so that we can be together, and the team and I have never been closer.'_ Glancing around, Echo's smile grew as she saw Darcy and Jane running to and fro across the store, cute outfits and baby booties in their arms. Natasha was searching more calmly a few rows down, but Echo could tell that she was just as excited as the others to be here.

Looking around further, Echo could not see Pepper, and turned her head the other direction to try and find her. "Hey Echo, how are you doing?" Echo jumped a foot, putting a hand on her heart as she turned back to see Pepper right beside her. "Oh, I'm sorry dear! I thought you heard me. Are you all right?" She looked incredibly worried, so Echo quickly nodded her head.

"I'm fine, it's all right. And thank you so much for bringing us here. I've never seen so many clothes in my life; I need a moment to take it all in!" Running her hand over another piece of clothing, Echo caught sight of a few of the price tags.

Her smile dropped as the prices rose, although she did not realize until Pepper asked, "What's wrong, Echo? Do you not like this place? There are plenty others if you want–"

Putting a hand up quickly, Echo said, "Oh, no, it's nothing like that! This place is amazing, and the clothes are wonderful. It's just –" She bit her lip, not knowing how to state her worry.

Once again, Pepper's excellent intuition showed itself, as she said, "Everything is more expensive than you're comfortable with." Echo nodded her head, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Pepper simply laughed, a knowing smile on her face, and said, "Oh honey, don't be silly! You are a new mother, part of the Avengers team, and you've gone through so much recently – I think you've earned the right to buy _whatever_ you want for your little one and you. All right?"

Leaning closer, a hand cupped beside her mouth as if telling a deep secret, Pepper whispered, "Anyways, I've nicked Tony's cards, so I think we're all set." Winking at Echo, she turned back to a rack of onesies that were littered with cartoon animals. "Now, how about these? They're pretty cute."

Grinning widely, eyes twinkling with mischief, Echo said nonchalantly, "Actually, I saw a few over there that I liked."

* * *

Snow fell thick and heavy on the ground, making it increasingly difficult for the men to plow through in order to get to their base. However, as if they were walking on flat ground rather than through three feet of snow, they continued onward, fast and steady like machines.

They were covered from head to foot with a thick material, sewn together as a sturdy jacket and pants for their body, turned into boots for their feet, and made into a makeshift scarf and hat for their heads. Their glove-covered hands held RMB-93's up and ready to fire, goggles over their eyes in order to see adversaries clearly despite the thickly falling snow.

Jogging swiftly through the snow, they could finally see a dark shape in the near distance. Many would have breathed a sigh of relief after being in that storm for several hours, with only those outfits to protect them. However, none made a sound of any kind, and at an unspoken command, picked up the pace until they reached the building.

It loomed over them, the grey walls as cold and unforgiving as their master, and if they had been able to, the men would have shuddered at the sight. As it was, they continued through the large entrance gate, sprinting through as if the chilly interior held the answer to all their problems, rather than the reason.

Marching steadily through the many halls, all painted the same dismal grey color, the light nearly blinding in its brightness, the men continued down a path they could follow with their eyes closed, having been trained so firmly.

Entering a larger room, this one much darker than the rest of the building, the group barely slowed despite not seeing where they were going. Coming to a stop just as their eyes adjusted to the darkness, a single man exited the formation and stood in front of them.

Uncovering his face and lifting his goggles from bright blue eyes, he called out in a strong voice, "We have completed what you asked of us. The agents are still unaware of our presence and my men are placed where you ordered them."

"Excellent," came a voice, as dark and evil as the shadows within it hid. "And the video?"

Motioning abruptly to one of his men, the first man spoke as the other brought out a miniature though high-tech television. "We were able to hack into their system, and once he is done assembling the camera, you will see everything."

The second man to step forward went back in line as the TV buzzed to life, a familiar living room coming into view as the image settled. As they watched, a strong blonde man walked into view, laughing as he talked to another tall blonde man, although his hair was longer.

The atmosphere of the room immediately brightened, as the chilling voice said, "Very good. Continue with these successful missions, and you will have all your heart's desire."

In unison, the group of men saluted, then turned sharply as one and left the room. As their marching feet echoed down the halls, the Other slowly walked out of the shadows.

A deep purple bruise ran across his eyes, an injury sustained when Loki had forcefully broken his hold on that mortal girl's mind. The anger that Loki had felt had barely been restrained, and the Other knew that he would have to take care in his future plans to make him pay.

Finding another group with hearts black as coal was simple enough, but even so, the Other had taken no chances this time. Taking complete control of all their minds exerted much of his energy at times, but after his failure with Phoenix, it was well justified. They would be his pawns, and he the King.

Turning his attention back to the monitor, he waved a hand and in the second the image was replicated on a larger screen behind him. As he watched, that wretched girl walked across the screen, followed closely by the other female. They were talking animatedly, so at peace, not knowing in the least that they were being observed by him.

Peering closer, the Other could not see any visible proof that the mortal was with child, but he knew what he had felt was another being within her. It intrigued him, and he wondered how she would fare. Interspecies relations was not unheard of, but one of the rarer pairings was of the Jötnar and the Midgardians.

Their height differences, amongst other things, was the main reason for the scarcity of half-Jotun, half-mortal offspring roaming the realms. However, as Loki was a runt, that had not been a problem between him and his mortal wench. But the Other knew that there would be more complications arising in the future.

If she survived carrying the child for the full term, never mind _birth_ it, she would become a valuable asset for him. The Other grinned, teeth black as if rotting away, as he thought of how he could use the mortal to grow his own army of minions. Her child, of course, would have to be captured along with her.

If it was a boy, he would become the Other's apprentice, learning the Dark side of magic. He would later on defeat Loki, knowing full well who he was killing, but hating him as the Other would teach him to hate. If the child was to be a girl, then she would be raised in the mindset that she was only a tool to increase his army when she was ready.

And once the mortal was too old to continue 'assisting' him, he would kill her. Slowly...excruciatingly...bringing back every bad memory and nightmare until she perished from the inside out.

'_Or,'_ the Other thought, his ever present grin growing with the evil of his plans. _'I shall have turn Loki's words against him. I will make that traitorous Jotun kill her, relinquishing my control just in time for him to see what he's done, and then watch as he takes his own life. Yes, that sounds exquisite.'_

A low chuckle suddenly sounded from the darkness, slowly growing until it became a full blown cackle, echoing around the room to fill it entirely. Any man or group that passed The Door would find themselves shiver involuntarily from the malice inside that voice – that is, if they were still the normal men who had entered that building those few weeks ago, eager for a new job, only to be greeted by a bright blue light before everything went blank.

* * *

**Okeydokey, I do hope that was OK! Again, sorry this isn't as early as I wanted, but I was packing almost all day, getting everything ready for my trip! That's the reason I've updated a "day early" – I'll be leaving California for Chile on Sunday, and I'll be over there for six weeks. That being said, I will be doing my **_**very**_** best to update while abroad – they won't be as often, but I'll be bringing my trusty laptop this time, and when the internet decides to cooperate over there, then you'll get a chapter! Sound good? :D**

**I'm just buzzing with excitement now...and anxiety! Last year I had a person helping me since I was alone, but this year **_**I'll**_** be finding my way around the airports with my lil' sis tagging along. :/ Wish me luck, (since it's just my 2****nd**** time traveling alone like this!) ;P Hehe, anyways – until then! Take care everyone, and enjoy your weekend!**

**-Ana :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, I'm back (and updating from a different country!) :D Thank you to my faithful readers, to those who've favorited since last time, to my reviewers – Loki'sdreamer, Spottedivy, DoctorLokiLove – and to the new followers, welcome! I hope this chapter is good enough after the longer wait! :)**

* * *

"_**Thunder**_..._**thunder**_..."

Loki opened one eye slowly, having heard _something_ that brought him out of his deep sleep. That something was still going on, and before he could figure out what it was, the speakers burst with, "_**THUNDER!**_"

Completely awake in the next second, Loki sat up rapidly in his shock, disoriented for a moment. Running his fingers through his hair, rubbing his eyes roughly with his other hand to get the remainder of sleep out, Loki hissed in annoyance, "JARVIS, what the hell is this?"

"_**THUNDER!**_"

"Master Stark has requested everyone's presence in the kitchen, and as he didn't care to wake you and the others individually, saw fit to awake everyone at once." Rolling his eyes, Loki swung his legs over the side of the bed, blinking rapidly as he was hit suddenly with dizziness from just waking up.

Another scream interrupted JARVIS' explanation, then he continued in a surprisingly tired-sounding voice, "However, I am sorry for the manner in which he woke you. I attempted to suggest another song, but as I am sure you are aware, once Master Stark has his mind set, it is hard to change."

Huffing in exasperation, Loki nodded his head, grumbling, "Yes, I know. I do not blame you, sentient machine. But now that I am awake, would you mind turning it _off_?" Yet another shout echoed around the room, and Loki covered his ears in a futile attempt to block it out.

"I am afraid I am unable to do so, Mr. Laufeyson. Sir has overridden my abilities, and I am only able to turn off the music when everyone is in the kitchen. Only you and Mr. Barton are left, so I would suggest making haste if you wish to stop the racket."

Turning to his bedside table, Loki saw that it was 9 o'clock in the morning, but the later hour didn't excuse the rude awakening. Stumbling to his feet, he made his way to the door, flinching as yet another shout exploded from the hidden speakers.

Slamming the door open, not caring in the slightest when it cracked loudly against the wall, Loki stormed down the hallway. "You had better have a good reason for waking me up, Stark!" He heard a door open behind him, and knew that Clint had emerged from his room as well.

Entering the kitchen, eyes ablaze as they searched for the inventor, Loki took in the appearances of the others as he passed over them. A grin made its way onto his face unbidden as he looked, although the annoyance at Stark remained in the back of his mind.

Thor's usually smooth hair was disheveled, random strands sticking out every which way, and he looked more confused than he normally did. The song had progressed since Loki had woken up, and Thor was looking around with wide, somewhat glassy eyes, attempting to find the source of the noise.

Beside him was Natasha, wearing a tight black shirt and loose grey sweats, arms crossed and standing barefoot. It was an unusual sight, making her seem a bit more ordinary, but the glare she had directed to the left of her made up for the lack of weapons on her person.

Bruce had a hand over his mouth, attempting to cover a huge yawn, his eyes closing against his will. From the bags under his eyes, it seemed that he had not had much sleep, and although he appreciated the help, Loki hoped that Bruce would not stay up too long searching for the Other.

Clint seemed to still be asleep on his feet, the frown on his face slowly disappearing until his head fell and he jerked awake again. Bucky standing next to him was in a similar state, widening his eyes at random moments in an attempt to stay awake. Steve was the only one completely awake other than Tony, as he had apparently been working out, wiping his forehead with a small towel as he regained his breath.

Echo smiled warmly at him when his gaze fell on her, although Loki could see that she was still waking up, blinking slowly as she looked around. With the loose shirt and sweats she wore as pajamas, the slight curve of her stomach was barely visible, but Loki had been beyond ecstatic when Echo started to show.

Finally, his burning gaze landed on the man responsible for their presence in the kitchen, and could barely restrain himself from leaping on Tony. The man in question was standing behind the counter, most probably in that spot to avoid being tackled to the ground or attacked by anyone.

Tony seemed excited, a wide smile on his face as he was nearly bouncing with energy, and Loki hoped that he hadn't simply been bored. It would be better for his health if Tony had an actual reason for waking them all.

Extending a hand, Loki pointed at the now smirking man, then asked in a carefully controlled voice, "What – did you want – to tell us?" Mutters of agreement came from the half-circle facing Tony, but – sadly – it did nothing to dampen the huge smile he had on his face.

Clapping his hands, Tony exclaimed, "Well, I've been thinking–"

"Like that's ever a good thing," Clint muttered, smirking as Tony paused to look at him, a somewhat annoyed expression on his face.

"Anyways, I realized that we hadn't had a day-in in a while. Sure, that wasn't exactly our fault, but I do remember how much fun we had when we decided to get drunk beyond reason that one time." Small smiles of remembrance of that day's events appeared on the others' faces, and Tony's grin grew.

"However, since one of our own can't exactly drink now," gesturing to Echo beside him, who blushed slightly, mouthing 'Sorry,' at them. "I needed to come up with a new idea. That's where you guys come in! Any ideas? Just shoot away!"

There was a pause, as everyone just stared at Tony, who stood pointing at them, pretending his fingers were pistols when he said 'shoot.' Loki gave a deep sigh, attempting to keep his temper under control. "Is that all?"

Tony's smile faded slightly, and he straightened up, saying, "Well...yeah. Come on, we've all had a difficult time lately – I think we deserve being lazy and having fun as a team for a day." When everyone still didn't say anything, Tony's shoulders sagged, and he pouted at them, "Please?"

Loki looked around at his teammates, and grinned at what he saw. Echo and Steve, being the kind souls they were, were actually thinking about what they could do together as a team. Bucky and Clint were grinning mischievously at each other, before looking at Bruce who sported any equally naughty smile.

Intrigued, Loki arched an eyebrow as he caught Bruce's gaze. His grin widening, Bruce turned to Tony, saying, "I have an idea, Tony." Tony immediately looked excited again, smiling brightly at his partner for being on his side.

"You have a swimming pool on one of these floors, don't you?" Tony's smile dropped off his face so quickly, Loki nearly did a double-take to ensure he hadn't imagined it a second ago. "It's summer time, and I think a nice relaxing day in the water is perfect for today's weather."

Loki was surprised at how vehemently Tony shook his head, as he said, "No, there's no pool here. You must have just assumed, but I'm sorry to tell you, there is no–"

"Yeah, I think you're right Bruce." Tony gave an exasperated sigh, turning towards Clint with a frown. "I went exploring a few months past, and I'm pretty sure I saw a pool along the way. A pretty big one too. A swim sounds like an excellent idea," the archer said, an evil smirk ever present on his face.

Tony's frown grew, but before he could say anything more, Thor suddenly added, "Aye, you are right Clint. I have swum in this pool you speak of. It is a mere few floors below us, ready for our use." Obviously Bruce, Clint and Bucky weren't expecting the help from Thor's side, but at the ecstatic expressions on their faces, they didn't mind the added argument at all.

Defeated, Tony looked at them all, saying in a pitiful voice, "A day at the pool, then?" Loki immediately nodded his head – he knew Tony's story, as they all did, but that didn't mean they couldn't get revenge in other ways for that wake-up call.

* * *

"Well, this stinks. You know, a day-in is supposed to be fun for the _whole team_!" Tony called from where he sat on the edge of the pool, glaring down at the water around his legs. He was wearing a pair of dark red and gold shorts, so expected that no-one even batted an eye when he had trudged slowly into the huge room.

The pool was impressive, to say the least. It was not as big as an Olympic pool, according to Bruce, but definitely bigger than the usual pool you would find at a public pool. Natural light shone through a wall that had been completely converted into three huge windows, although there were lights in the ceiling that would turn on automatically when the sun went down. The walls shimmered with the reflections of the water, and Loki found the entire setting to be rather nice, despite it being indoors rather than out.

"Oh come on Tony, it's not all bad. We won't dunk you or anything, just stay in the shallow end if you don't want to swim," Steve said back, treading water easily over in the deep end.

Loki was already in the pool as well, diving under to get his hair wet, relishing the cool water on his skin after all that hot weather. He had received a few swimming trunks from Tony, and had decided on a decent looking dark green pair for the day. As he swam deeper, he could see the color reflecting off the bottom. Kicking to get back to the surface, Loki peered around the pool, searching for a certain someone in particular.

Bucky was a few feet away from him, making huge waves with his arms, directing them at Steve who was eagerly splashing back. Bucky had turned up in a simple pair of black swim shorts, while Steve, unsurprisingly, wore a pair that had one red pant leg and one blue, dotted with white spots. Tony especially had a laugh at his appearance, but he stopped immediately after Steve invited him into the water.

Bruce had on some purple shorts that only he could pull off – again, another one of Tony's comments before going back to sitting sullenly by the pool. He placed his glasses on a chair beside the pool, one of nine that each had a towel draped over them. Flashing a smile at Tony, he gave a whoop of joy before jumping into the pool, curled up as much as he could.

A bit of water from the splash landed on Tony's arms, and he began muttering as he brushed the drops off. Turning big puppy eyes on Bruce, his pout only grew as Bruce shrugged apologetically, shaking his wet hair back like a dog. Crossing his arms, Tony kicked water at anyone who came too close to him.

Natasha came into the room with Clint and Thor, wearing a light blue bikini that most would call cute – and yet did not do much to lessen the knowledge that she could easily take down a team of men double her size.

Loki smirked as he took in Thor's happy smile, looking more like a child than the huge God of Thunder he was. Fiddling with the dark blue swim trunks he had on, Thor walked carefully past Tony, as if the slightest noise would cause a panic attack. "It's all right big guy, just enjoy yourself. I'll be fine." At that, Thor grinned and leapt into the pool without any other warning.

By the devious expression on Clint's face, Loki thought he was going to push Tony in. However, with a hard look from Natasha, Clint conceded and only ruffled Tony's hair, earning a swat in the leg as he passed. He wore a pair of dark red shorts, a white stripe on each side, and once he was close enough, dove into the pool. _'Rather elegantly, actually,'_ Loki thought with a grin, watching as Clint swam past him underwater.

Loki looked up again as the door opened again, and a huge smile worked its way onto his face as he watched Echo enter the room. She was dressed in a black bikini, dotted with purple spots, which Loki had to say she looked fantastic in. And best of all, due to the lack of clothing covering her stomach, Loki could see the small outward curve that was their child. He was no less amazed each time he gazed upon her, and saw the proof that something was growing within her.

However, it was clear in her body language that she was nervous, rubbing an arm slowly as she walked towards the pool. Her brown eyes looked at the water anxiously, and Loki could see the way her hands shook as if she was cold. Concerned, he began swimming closer as she reached Tony beside the pool.

"Hey, Echo. Don't mind me, jump right in," Tony said miserably, trailing a finger through the water before straightening up again. Loki caught Echo's eyes, and held his arms open with a smile, gesturing for her to join him. She smiled slightly, but then surprised him as she shook her head.

"No, that's OK, I'll – stay out here for now. Keep Tony company." Grabbing the nearest towel, Echo placed it on the floor beside Tony, who was looking at her incredulously. Loki couldn't help but feel put out, although he knew that there had to be a reason behind it. He knew she would feel bad about Tony, but he didn't think that she would forgo relaxing in the pool to sit by the inventor.

Swimming slowly towards the shallow end, Loki heard the others calling to Echo to jump in. "Come on Echo, don't let Tony get you down! He'll be fine, join us instead!" Bucky yelled from the other side of the pool, Steve waving his hands at her as well.

"Maybe later – I'm...fine over here," Echo said, her voice getting softer near the end. Loki swam through the shallow end rather than be slow and walk, and stood as soon as he reached Echo. She remained looking at the water, obviously not wanting to make eye contact. _'But why?'_

Taking her chin in a gentle grip, Loki tipped her face upwards and asked, "Echo, are you all right? Why don't you join us in the water? It will help you relax, of that I'm sure." Loki's frown deepened slightly as she merely shook her head, giving him a shy smile.

"If you are worried about the babe, he or she will be fine! It is a soothing experience for both them and the mother, as many of the midwifes of Asgard have told young mothers when they ached due to a baby's added weight," Thor yelled from where he floated in the middle of the pool, his hair around his head like a golden aura.

Loki rolled his eyes as Echo laughed softly, saying, "No, I know that. It's just – look, I'm better off out here. Don't worry about me, I'm ruining everyone's time," Echo said quickly, slipping out of Loki's grip as she moved her head.

"You _will_ ruin my time, if you do not join me. How could I enjoy myself otherwise?" Loki said with a devious smile, placing his hands on the tops of her knees. Echo blushed, pushing back when Tony nudged her towards Loki, but she was firm and shook her head again.

Lifting Echo's legs slightly, his hands grasping her upper calves, Loki pulled, trying to slide her off the towel into the pool. Instantaneously, her hands shot up to grip his shoulders tightly, her breath coming out in short bursts, and Loki was shocked at the fear that was in her eyes as she looked up at him. "Don't, _please_."

Loki released her legs immediately, but before she could flee, grabbed her hands gently. "Echo, tell me what's wrong. Why are you afraid of the water?"

Beside her, Tony had a mixed look of shock and anger on his face. "Did the gang...do anything to you, like what happened to me?" His tone of voice was thick with worry, and Echo turned her head to look at him, a sad smile playing at her lips.

"No, nothing like that, don't worry. It only happened a few times...well, more like every few weeks until I was in my late teens, but still. With someone who could control fire – but at the same time didn't know _how_ to – they needed a quick way to 'douse the flames' before it got too bad." Loki seethed as a numerous scenarios flooded his mind, the next more unpleasant than the rest.

Sighing, Echo looked around at the others before saying, "Basically, they had a few tanks – full of ice cold water – sitting around within a reasonable distance of each other, so that if I had an episode, they could grab me and toss me in. So that they wouldn't get burned, they had these strong and thick jackets and gloves they would throw on, then drag me, lift me, and dump me into the pools."

"I never learned how to swim, and didn't really want to after those experiences, but until now I didn't need to." Looking around, Echo's face fell as she realized how sad everyone was now. The thought of a young girl being tossed into a large tank was not a happy image, and since that girl was a teammate, the situation was even worse.

"Oh gosh, now I feel terrible. Here you were, trying to have a good time, and then I came and pooped the party," she said with a sheepish grin, looking down at her hands still clasped within Loki's. Tony's warm hand came up to rest on her shoulder, and he said softly, "It doesn't make you any less strong to admit your weaknesses. It was hard, but we all told our stories, so that at least we would _know_ what to do in certain situations, even if they never happened."

From across the pool, Steve said, "You should have told us sooner, even if we don't swim that often. What if we had discovered this in during an attack or emergency, and no-one was there to help you past the panic?"

Just then Bruce said, sounding much closer than before, "You know what? I have an idea – let's help these two get rid of that anxiety." Echo and Tony immediately started moving backwards, but by holding of one of Echo's hands and using the other to grab Tony's ankle, Loki managed to keep them by the pool until Bruce was beside him.

Holding his hands out to Tony, Bruce looked up at him with a caring gaze and said, "I know this will be hard, but we can't let this cripple you. Either of you," he added, turning his eyes over to Echo for a moment before looking back at Tony. "We don't even have to do anything today, but I want to at least see you in the water, OK?"

After a few moments of near silence – Clint had joined Bucky and Steve's splash fight, although they still kept an eye and ear on the proceedings – Tony groaned in annoyance, and slowly edged towards the water. Swatting away Bruce's hand, he lowered himself into the water, his knuckles white as his grip tightened on the wall until his feet touched the bottom of the pool.

As they were in the shallow end, the water went to just above his hips, but Loki had never seen Tony more nervous or stressed in the few years he knew him. His body was so rigid, his grip unyielding on the wall, muscles wound tight, it was uncomfortable simply _looking_ at the man.

However, after a few seconds, and with Bruce a steady comfort by his side, Tony loosened up slightly, even if not relaxing completely. Deeming Tony fine and in good hands, Loki turned to his own subject. Echo was watching Tony steadily, eyes wide and still full of fright. However, her jaw was set with determination, and as she looked back at Loki, she said, "I'm ready. But be gentle, please."

"That's what she said," Clint said, of course having heard Echo's comment across the pool. A yelp followed as most probably Natasha whacked him upside the head. Loki started to turn to retort himself, but Echo immediately gripped his chin.

Surprised at the sudden movement, Loki could only gape at her as Echo said, "Oh no, if I'm doing this, you had better keep your eyes on me the _whole_ time. Ignore the child over there, and _please_, don't let me go."

"You shouldn't ignore a child in the pool," Clint muttered sulkily, but Loki only grinned as Echo rolled her eyes. Watching her expressions steadily, Loki grabbed her hands and slowly started pulling her towards him. At first it seemed it would be too much, but then she blinked and the fear was much diminished.

"Shh, it's all right," Loki whispered, noticing how her breath was quickening, the grip on his arms tightening slowly. Echo looked down as her feet touched the bottom, then back up at Loki, a small smile on her face.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Loki slowly led her away from the wall, sinking down to be at her level. Her hands rose to grasp at his shoulders, that were now just above the water, her forehead creasing with anxiety.

Leaning forward, he kissed the wrinkles away softly, then her cheeks and lips until she visibly relaxed in his arms. Loki continued walking backwards slowly, heading toward the deep end, his eyes steadily gazing into Echo's. As it was, she didn't seem to realize where he was going until Steve suddenly shouted happily, her mind noticing that his voice much too close for her to still be in the shallow end.

Looking around, Echo nearly panicked, her legs starting to kick away. Planting his feet firmly, Loki pulled Echo closer, leaning back so that she was draped over him. Face to face, he breathed, "See? You're all right. I'm right here, and you _know_ that no-one here will let anything happen to you. I'm sure even Tony will get over his fear to save you."

Echo crept closer, her arms hanging loosely around Loki's neck, their patches of bare skin sliding against each other in the water. "I know," she said, smiling back at Natasha as she swam by. "I'm just a little scared. I haven't been in water like this in quite a few years, that's all."

"Well, then we should try and change that, shouldn't we?" Echo looked hesitant, but finally nodded her head, determination in her eyes. "And look, you're already doing such a good job."

Loki watched as Echo glanced around only to see that they were completely in the deep end, and was so proud to see only a slight fear rise into her eyes. More of amazement and joy made its way into her expression rather than panic, although Loki wrapped his arms more securely around her as she tightened the grip her arms had around his neck.

Pulling her closer, Loki felt the small bump of her stomach between them, and laughed softly. When Echo turned curious eyes towards him, he said with a smile, "I'd hold you more tightly, but it seems someone doesn't want me to."

Echo's entire face lit up as giggles escaped her lips, managing to say, "Well, we'll have to make do then, won't we?" Loki felt her fingers tangling into his hair, and leaned forward as she did, eagerly meeting her lips with his.

Taking a breath, Loki leant his forehead against hers, and whispered, "This will be a hard journey, but just as we got through this unexpected obstacle, so shall we overcome the future troubles. Just know that I will always be here beside you, all right Echo?"

Pecking him once more on the lips, Echo looked deep into his eyes. "I know Loki. Thank you."

Claiming her lips again, Loki cut it short when Clint splashed at the back of his head, hollering, "Oi, enough with the snogging. This is a public pool, get a room!"

Meeting Echo's equally mischievous gaze with his, Loki slowly turned towards the archer, Echo still in his arms. "You must know, Mr. Barton, that even with my hands occupied, I am quite the formidable opponent."

A large ball of water rose from the pool, and as Loki focused to send it across the pool, his grin widened as the spiel of giggles from Echo grew with the look of horror on Clint's face.

_'Oh Echo, _how_ you have changed me.'_

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**Okey-dokey, not one of the more action-y chapters, but I do hope it was still all right! I wanted to apologize to some of you who had their hopes raised as I thought I was going to be able to update yesterday. However, I had quite a long day yesterday, and it ended up being pushed to tonight. Also, I have to confess – I'm a bit worried that I'm disappointing you guys, what with all those short chapters before...I don't know, maybe I'm just a worrywart. **

**But, if there's something you want to see, or if I could have written something a little differently, don't hesitate to tell me, please! I'm all for getting suggestions and advice. :) That being said, I will be trying to update next weekend again, either Saturday or Sunday. I hope to hear from you all, and I hope you enjoyed your weekend! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I had a bit of trouble with the internet the other day, but now it's back up and running fine! Firstly, thanks to all my readers, to those who've favorited/followed since last time, and to my reviewers for easing the worries that I had – ikatiecullen101, Loki'sdreamer, Spottedivy, DoctorLokiLove – thanks a bunch everyone! I've truly organized this story now, so hopefully things go a little smoother now? Either way, I hope you enjoy this update! :)**

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"I swear, Tony, if you laugh one more time, I'm going to smack you," Echo growled out, her eyes flashing dangerously as she pinned the unfortunate man with her gaze.

The team was in the gym at the moment, deciding to have a workout all together. Each member was in a different area, but everyone could be heard from anywhere in the room. Loki grinned at her words, glancing over in time to see Tony quickly lay back down on the bench press.

"Dude, you're such a coward," Clint laughed, standing behind Tony as his spotter. "Her words are useless – she can't do anything to you, due to her _condition_," he taunted, accenting the word and earning a glare of his own.

Tony snorted, lowering and lifting the weights once more before saying, "You obviously haven't been around pregnant women." With a slight strain as he brought the weights back down, Tony explained, "They might not move too fast, especially later on, but they'll find a way to make you pay, trust me."

Clint's gulp was audible throughout the gym, and Loki could see Steve give a smile from where he was destroying yet another punching bag. At the three bags on the floor beside him, leaking sand like blood from wounds, it seemed Tony would have to modify his new design for the bags...again.

Bucky was working his arms, using weights next to Clint and Tony, chuckling at Clint's reaction while Thor simply burst out laughing, pausing in his Arnold dumbbell presses to regain his breath properly. Loki rolled his eyes at how boisterous his brother _always_ had to be, looking back at Natasha just in time to see her extend her leg to knock him off balance.

Before he could jump away, Loki felt her foot hook behind his and then the quick jerk as his legs were swiped from under him. With a slight grunt, he fell on his back, flinching against his will as Natasha pounced on him suddenly. Before he could blink, she had a foot against his cheek, pressing the side of his face against the mat, while she held his arms down firmly.

Breathing heavily, Natasha managed to say, "You should never take your eyes off of your opponent." With a smug grin, she added, "Especially when it's me."

Loki rolled his eyes, not able to speak due to the _foot_ on his face, but before he could try to move away, he heard, "Hey, don't damage that handsome face of his! I'm rather invested in it."

With a small laugh, Natasha rolled neatly off of Loki, and he sat up with a slight groan. Rubbing his cheek woefully, Loki turned towards Echo and smiled at the wink she directed at him. Standing up, his bones creaking as he stretched, Loki made his way across the room to her.

Echo was exercising a little ways away from Tony and Clint, in perfect view of them if they turned their heads to the left. The reason they had been laughing was due to the exercises she was restricted to doing. Never having seen someone do yoga before either, Loki _had_ to admit it was amusing to watch. _'Although I won't be telling her that directly, of course.'_

A chair was next to her, which she had been using to do some squatting exercises. It had taken a lot of his willpower not to laugh at the position, especially when he had Tony and Clint cracking up unrestrained beside him. The glare she had pointed at them hinted at revenge, while her most recent comment promised it.

Echo was currently doing the 'Warrior 1' pose, as he had remembered from the pamphlet Bruce had given them. Her knees were bent, thighs shaking slightly from the effort of staying balanced, but her breath was even and deep. Her eyes were closed, her arms reaching above her head as she stretched gently.

Bruce had decided to stay in the main room with the rest of them, doing his meditation exercises beside Echo as well. While he wasn't doing the exact same as her, their routines were similar and he hadn't wanted her feeling embarrassed by being alone. However, Bruce needn't have worried, as Echo had shown being pregnant wouldn't hinder her getting revenge.

Walking up to them, being sure to not make a sound, Loki extended a hand to Echo's cheek slowly – "If you try to scare me Mr. Laufeyson, then I can guarantee you will not enjoy the next time we are alone." Loki froze, his hand right beside her face, as she opened one eye to peek up at him. In the corner of his eye, he saw Bruce give a small smile, his eyes still closed as he sat in the lotus position.

A few low whistles from Steve and Tony cut through the air, making Echo grin as she opened the other eye, both twinkling with mischief. She stood up slowly, a hand on his arm, and Loki couldn't help the smile when he saw her other hand under the curve of her stomach.

He had noticed that Echo had gotten into the habit of placing a hand on the bump, both consciously such as now, and subconsciously. Loki had also taken to cupping her stomach, placing his hands over it while they slept during the nights that he needed – or simply wanted – to be near her.

With the Other still out there, Loki was restless most nights, and only sneaking into Echo's room to be beside her could allow him to relax. He constantly remembered the events of New York, the memories of Echo's capture slipping in now and then, and Loki knew he had to do something to relieve himself of those thoughts. He had looked through his books again, and just last night, had found a spell that was perfect for his needs.

Loki looked away from Echo as Tony yawned loudly, stretching so that his shirt rode up slightly. He huffed out a laugh as Clint whacked Tony in the stomach as he walked past, causing the inventor to grunt, doubling over slightly. "Fix your shirt, nobody wants to see that. Well, other than Bruce, I guess."

A tired sigh sounded beside Echo, and she grinned at how patient Bruce had to be with all of them – especially Tony. Watching as Tony swatted Clint in the shoulder, running out the door with Clint right on his heels, her smile only grew. "I think you'd better stop your boyfriend soon, otherwise we may find Tony hanging by his foot from a vent."

Natasha laughed. "Now, with that image, why would I want to stop Clint?" She gave a thoughtful pose, then said in a disappointed voice, "But then we'd have to deal with Tony's whining for the next few weeks. I think it's better if we find them before that happens." Echo nodded fervently, making a shooing gesture at Natasha for her to get there fast.

Looking around, Echo saw that Thor had moved to the bench press, Bucky was using the treadmill now, while Steve switched with Bucky at the weights. Looking down at her side, she was tempted to ruffle up Bruce's hair, but knew he needed these moments of peace. Besides, she had been ready to jump at Tony for laughing at her – _'well, figuratively anyways'_ – so she didn't think he'd appreciate the disturbance either.

A small cough, clearly someone trying to get her attention, came from her other side. With a small smirk, Echo turned her head slowly, eyebrow raised coyly as she met those glowing green eyes. "I'm sorry, was I neglecting you, my love?" His eyes shone with glee, a quiet chuckle leaving his lips.

Loki brushed some hair out of Echo's face, tucking the strand behind her ear before running a thumb down her cheek. "I need to ask you something. It is rather important."

"Just say yes, Echo, before he embarrasses himself!" Bucky hollered from where he was running easily on the treadmill.

Glancing over with a roll of his eyes, Loki used a bit of magic to make the machine increase in speed by many levels. As Bucky struggled not to fall over, Loki said quickly, "Be quiet fool, this is about her health, not marital status." Turning his head back, he caught a flash of some emotion go across Echo's face, but it was gone before he could identify it.

He looked at her with curious eyes, but Echo merely looked back at him calmly, waiting for him to continue. "I would like to use another spell on you, one that would allow me to find you if...if anything happens again."

Echo genuinely looked interested, nodding contemplatively as she listened to him continuing with the explanation. "And if I was to concentrate harder, then I could also sense your feelings, which could be beneficial once you enter the later stages of your pregnancy."

Looking her in the eyes, Loki asked softly, "Would you allow me to do this? It is a simple process, nothing as extravagant as last time. We could complete it now, if you'd like."

Much to his joy, Echo smiled up at him. "Then what are you waiting for? It would definitely ease some of my worries too – you should have thought of this sooner," she said with a laugh, nudging him playfully.

Loki smiled back, but turned serious quickly as he raised a hand to rest gently on her forehead. "You should close your eyes. It may get bright." A quirk of her lips, then her eyelids slid closed, waiting patiently for him to begin. However, Loki didn't miss how she placed her hand on the top of her stomach again.

Placing his other hand over hers, happiness filling him at the small smile that formed on her lips, Loki began calling his magic. His surroundings falling away, the sounds of the others exercising around him diminishing, he pulled the spell to the front of his mind. Focusing on the back of his hand, a slight glow began to glimmer between it and Echo's head.

The light rose in brightness, but not painfully so, at least not to him. Since his hand was placed right above Echo's eyes, it would have been uncomfortable for her. As it was, her eyelids flickered every now and then, trying to block the light out. Suddenly Loki could sense her discomfort, and a thrill went through him, even if the shared feeling was ever so slight.

With one last burst of light, the spell was finished, and a weight left Loki's shoulders. Now, even if Echo was taken from him again – _'Although I vow to do _anything_ so that you are not,' _– he would be able to pinpoint her location, and transport himself there immediately. Even with their still dangerous situation, Loki could allow himself to relax just a little bit now.

Rubbing the curve of her stomach, Loki lowered his hand from her forehead. "There, done. Do you feel any different? Dizzy? Uncomfortable?"

Pursing her lips, she shrugged. "Nope, I'm fine." Raising her hands, looking at the palms, Echo said, "I felt a bit of a tingle at one point, but other than that, nothing's different."

Grinning, Loki explained, "That _tingle_ you felt was probably when I felt your discomfort at the light."

Before he could speak more on the spell, he was interrupted as Bruce whispered, "Amazing." They both looked down to where he was still sitting, and Loki had to hold in a laugh at the awe-struck expression on his face. Clearing his throat after being caught watching, he said woefully, "If I had magic to monitor people's feelings, my life in hiding would have so much easier."

"Sadly, this is not something I can teach. It is rather regretful, for you are one of the few I would even consider for a pupil."

"Wow, I suppose that's an honor, right?" Bruce laughed, rising to his feet slowly. Stretching his arms upwards, he looked to be deep in thought for a moment. Blinking, he lowered his arms and said with a smile, "But thank you anyways. I think I'll just stick with my science. Who knows what would happen if you combined magic with the Hulk."

Echo grimaced, nodding her head in agreement. "Yes..." At the tone of his voice, Echo looked up at Loki only to roll her eyes, seeing that gleam in his eyes right away. "What _would_ happen, I wonder."

"Loki, behave yourself," Echo tried, but she knew it was a lost cause. Crossing her arms, she watched as Loki took a few slow steps towards Bruce, who immediately widened his eyes and took off for the exit.

Much to her surprise – _'But then again _not_,'_ – Loki sprinted after him, his laughter echoing through the halls behind him.

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Echo woke up uneasily, a strange sensation going through her as if the mattress was rocking on water. Breathing deeply, she pressed her face into the pillow, willing the dizziness to go away. As she was curled up on her side, Echo tried stretching her legs out, but immediately froze as it caused an ache to form in her lower back.

Groaning, Echo reluctantly pulled herself to a sitting position, her left hand rising out of habit now onto her stomach. Fixing her wrinkled blue tank top, matching pajama bottoms of course, that had risen up, she started to get up before registering the still darkness in the room. Switching her bedside lamp on, her head spun at the sudden transition from dark to light, and a wave of nausea swept over her.

The next second, Echo was stumbling to the bathroom, a hand clasped firmly over her mouth. Yanking the door open, she ran in, skidding to a halt then dropping to her knees in front of the toilet. Barely managing to lift the seat in time, she leaned over just as her body betrayed her.

Her stomach feeling like it was turning inside out, Echo retched into the toilet, tears squeezing out of tightly clenched eyes from the force. Her hands on either side of the porcelain bowl, Echo slightly registered JARVIS' voice over the pounding in her head, asking her something.

'_Yes, yes, get Loki,'_ Echo thought, knowing that was exactly what JARVIS had been questioning. _'Good old JARVIS, always looking out for us.'_ However, due to the fact she was heaving her guts out, Echo couldn't exactly answer the AI. It seemed he had sent the message anyways, when she heard Loki calling for her after appearing in her room.

There was a lull in her being sick, and Echo tried leaning up to get his attention. The next second, she was hit with more nausea, and she was back over the rim, arms shaking as she coughed harshly. Running footsteps, then long, cool fingers pulled her hair out of her face, holding it together at the nape of her neck.

"Shh, just let it out. Breathe, Echo, that's it. You're fine." Loki's voice was a welcome comfort, easing the headache that had risen as she was sick. Finally, the dizziness went away, the nausea diminishing, and she leant slightly against the strong, steady body beside her. From the bare skin against her arm, she knew that Loki was only in his sweats as usual, but even that thought didn't overpower the sick feeling. _'Damn.'_

Breathing deeply, her eyes still closed, one hand lifted, fumbling for the toilet handle. Just as she found it, a hand closed over hers, flushing the toilet since her strength had deserted her. Immediately, it was much more pleasant to inhale, and the last of the nausea disappeared.

Straightening her back, Echo slowly eased herself up, Loki a steady presence beside her. With Loki's hand on her hip, she made it to the sink even with shaky legs, and turned the sink on. Washing her face – and rinsing out her mouth, because _yuck_, that taste made her want to throw up again – she grabbed a towel, patting her face dry before turning to Loki finally.

He had a slightly worried expression on his face, but also looked so _lost_, and Echo laughed softly. "I'm fine...for now, at least. But we knew this would start sooner or later, and though it's unpleasant, I'm definitely ready for it."

Loki smiled at his lover's determined attitude, a complete contrast to the shaking, vulnerable girl she had been just a moment ago. When JARVIS had notified him, he had already been awakened due to the sudden spike of uneasiness he had felt. Realizing immediately that it was Echo's feeling, Loki had teleported in just in time to see her heaving over the toilet again.

He knew that it was a normal part of the pregnancy, albeit one of the more unpleasant ones, but Loki didn't like seeing Echo in any distress. But, with her confidence, he was reminded on how strong his lover could be. She was more than willing to go through this process, simply happy knowing that she'd have a child of her own at the end.

Leading Echo out of the bathroom, her strength having returned so that she was not shaking anymore, Loki frowned as he remembered the other symptoms she would have due the half-Jotun status of their child. He watched as Echo settled herself on her side again, burrowing into the pillows, then pulled the blankets up and over her.

"We will have to talk about the more _unusual_ symptoms you will have, but for now you should sleep." Gesturing to the clock, reading 3:37AM, Loki said dryly, "You'll need all the rest you can get, what with the upcoming events."

Echo rolled her eyes, snuggling further into the sheets, and Loki smiled as he made his way to the door. "Wait." He turned back, eyebrow raised in question. "Stay with me?" She asked hopefully, patting the spot beside her.

Smiling down at her, he said softly, "Of course." Loki crawled into the bed, making himself comfortable behind Echo. Draping an arm around her, he pulled her gently closer, leaving his hand over her own that was already on the small bump.

Inhaling her sweet smell, Loki released a long breath, the tension leaving his body as his muscles relaxed. Echo sighed in relief, nestling back perfectly into the shape of Loki's body, feeling protected by the arm over her and by his mere presence. Her fingers moved over the curve of her stomach, his hand responding in kind as his fingers tightened slightly over hers.

'_So, it begins.'_

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**I just wanted to thank you all again for being so patient with me, and that I hope this was worth it after the longer wait! Also, I'm letting you know that right now there is a huge lead for what Loki and Echo are going to have, but you can still vote if you haven't yet! :D**

**Also, I've decided to say in the notes how far along Echo is – (yes, I've gotten so far into the research - which hopefully is all right - my whole revised outline is by the weeks, hehe.) That way, you can look up pictures if you want to know how big the bump is, etc. By the end of the chapter, Echo was 6wks, 4 days pregnant. :)**

**Okey-dokey, I've rambled on enough. I hope you liked this update, but feel free to suggest or request anything for the future chapters! Until the next time, take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone, I'm back! (**_**Finally**_**, I know, I am SO sorry.) Huge thanks to everyone for all your support, for your kind reviews – Loki'sdreamer, ZombieReader, DoctorLokiLove, Rhino (aka Liondove), Spottedivy – and for deeming my story good enough for your favorites list! It makes me super happy to get your notifications! :D**

**(To my guest reviewer) Burton: Aw, you're too kind! I'm really glad to hear that, and there'll definitely be many more sweet and fluffy moments in the future chapters! :)**

**After another longer wait, here's the next update! Hope you enjoy!**

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Loki gradually awoke, blinking slowly as he looked at the shadows playing across the ceiling. His eyes heavy with sleep, Loki groaned softly, rubbing them with one hand as he combed through his hair with the other. Turning his head to the left, he looked across his pillow to Echo's still sleeping face.

Loki rolled onto his side so that they were both facing each other now, the blankets pulled up to just below their shoulders. He stretched lazily, pointing his toes and extending his arms as much as he could in front of him.

The tips of his fingers brushed lightly against Echo's arm, and Loki froze as she began to stir. However, she merely burrowed her face deeper into the pillow, inhaling deeply before settling down again. Loki let out the breath he was holding, moving closer slowly so as not to wake up his lover. The last few days had been quite rough on her, after all.

Loki had taken to sleeping in Echo's room since the first symptom had showed itself, so that when she was sick in the early hours, he could be there beside her. Not that he was able to actually _sleep_ much, but Echo definitely had the worse part of the deal.

Loki was woken up at random intervals by either the sound of Echo being sick, or of the mattress moving as she flew to the bathroom. She had become more miserable and tired with each day, and Loki had actually had to catch Echo as her legs gave out after the latest trip to the bathroom.

Her skin had been warm to the touch – at least, warmer than usual – but Loki hadn't paid too much attention to it. Focusing more on getting her back to bed to rest was more important at the time. Either way, by the time he had settled down beside her, Echo's temperature had returned to normal, so he had not given it another thought.

Now however, as Loki simply watched Echo sleep, he started to register the heat radiating off of her body. Looking more carefully at her face, Loki didn't see any sign of uneasiness that she might be feeling. No wrinkles disrupted her smooth forehead, and the corners of her eyes and mouth were relaxed in her slumber.

Clearly, this was not a nightmare, but it did not help Loki relax even a little. Lifting himself onto his left elbow, the blanket sliding off his shoulder, Loki placed his hand on her forehead. Her temperature was not as high as he knew it could become, but still higher than he was comfortable with.

Dropping his hand to her shoulder, he was about to shake her gently awake, but then paused. _'Perhaps that's not the best action. I would rather her not get nauseous again.'_ Leaning down, he kissed her on the cheek, whispering against her warm skin, "Echo, dear. I'm afraid you have to wake up."

Echo turned her head further into the pillow, murmuring in her sleep, hair falling in front of her face and tickling his nose. Pulling back so he would not sneeze, Loki peered over at the electric clock by Echo's bed. "It's not as early as you think. It's almost 9:30AM Echo."

Her voice was muffled from the bed, but Loki grinned as he made out, "But it's Sundaaay. And you said I need my rest."

"Yes, but you're running a bit of a fever. Or what seems like one, anyways." When this still didn't evoke a reaction, Loki took hold of the hair in front of Echo's face, pushing it behind her ear. She opened one eye to peek up at him, her frown slowly turning into a smile against her will.

"All right, I'll get up. I feel fine though," Echo complained, pushing herself up carefully. Stretching her arms upward, her tank top lifted slightly, and Echo smirked as she noticed Loki's eyes were glued on the bit of skin that was showing. "See anything you like, darling?"

Loki's eyes immediately snapped up to meet hers, a feral grin growing on his face. Echo bit her lip as Loki crawled towards her, trying – and failing – to hide her own smile. Before she could even think about rising off the bed, a hand gently took her wrist, pulling her back to the center.

She allowed herself to be lowered onto her back, her face heating up with a blush as Loki arranged himself to hover above her. He shot her that same grin, before ducking his head down to lightly brush his lips against her stomach. Echo's body shook with a suppressed giggle, and Loki glanced up as she whispered, "That tickles, and you know it."

Eyes gleaming with mirth, Loki replied, "Yes. I do," chuckling as Echo whacked him softly on the head. He edged her shirt up, kissing a line up along the bump, smiling against her skin as Echo laughed again. Rising further up her body, Loki caught those ready lips in a heated open-mouthed kiss.

Echo worried Loki's bottom lip between her teeth, before plunging her tongue back into his mouth, swallowing the quiet groan that escaped his lips. Her hands lifted to run down his bare sides, then lightly traced the toned abs, shivering at the low growl her actions enticed. Loki attacked her lips with renewed fervor, making her feel light headed from the sensations going through her.

Loki finally broke the kiss, taking in Echo's huge eyes, pupils blown wide, flushed cheeks, and red, swollen lips. Leaning his forehead against hers, he was reminded of why he had awoken Echo at the heat of her skin against his. Regretfully, Loki had to pull back, sitting back on the edge of the bed.

Standing up, Loki held out his hand, saying, "I'd rather go see Bruce sooner than later." With a roll of her eyes, Echo took the pro-offered hand, smiling as she was pulled gently closer. "We can always continue afterwards, if you'd like."

"Hmm, it all depends on what Bruce's verdict is. What if he confines me to bed, no visitors allowed?" Echo smirked as Loki's face fell, that fact ringing true as he thought about it. But then he looked back at Echo, and immediately jumped in surprise as he noticed the flames coating her hands and wrists.

"Echo, what are you doing?!" Her expression was one of complete confusion, before she followed his gaze, her eyes widening at seeing her hands. Loki moved forward, his hands cooling to extinguish the flames quickly, but then paused when she merely clenched her hands into fists.

Clearly Echo was still slightly in control, as the flames disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. She looked a little longer at her open palms, then lifted her head to meet Loki's equally worried gaze. Striding forward, Echo grabbed Loki's hand, pulling him after her as she made her way to the door. "Bruce, _now_."

* * *

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything abnormally wrong with you, Echo. This probably was a mild case of hyperthermia, which is another symptom that pregnant women can get," Lisa explained, smiling warmly at the expecting parents. She had arrived at the Tower just a few minutes ago, after Loki and Echo had burst into Bruce's lab, asking him to call her.

They were in the medical bay again, Echo sitting on the usual cold table featured in hospitals. Loki was standing beside her, a hand on her shoulder for his own comfort. Bruce was sitting beside Lisa at the other end of the table, listening intently as she spoke. "You probably didn't notice the extra heat, due to your power making your normal temperature higher than ours."

"And what should I do? I was able to regain control this time, but if it happens again and I can't?" Echo lowered her hand from where it was pressing a cold cloth onto her forehead, dipping it back into the bowl of icy water beside her before replacing it. Another damp towel was draped around her neck, helping lower Echo's temperature back to normal.

Loki had been beyond worried when Echo had had her momentary lapse of control, but now it seemed she was perfectly fine. Well, physically at least. He could feel the tension in her shoulder though, and rubbed it gently in an attempt to help her relax. Loki brought his attention back to Lisa as she answered Echo's question, as he was equally concerned with future incidents.

"Try not to wear too thick clothing – which shouldn't be too hard, as it's the middle of July. But it's not just layers. Wear clothes that allow your skin to breathe easily, loose and not too tight fitting. Switch blankets on your bed to lighter sheets, drink lots of fluids, and if you ever start to feel too warm again, you can do the same as right now with the towels, or take a cool shower if you're really uncomfortable."

Lisa gave them a kind smile. "But you don't have to worry too much. As I said, this is a normal part of being pregnant. Of course, you can always call on me if you wish. As your doctor, I want you to be as comfortable with the entire process as I can make you."

Loki felt a bit of the stress affecting Echo leave her, and said honestly, "Thank you for your help. I'm glad that Echo has such a trustworthy doctor."

Lisa just laughed, waving away his compliment with a smile. "I just read off the clipboards most of the time, what do I do?" But her eyes were twinkling with happiness, obviously enjoying receiving the praise, from a God, no less.

After a few more minutes of catching up, Lisa bid them all good bye, leaving for the office she had set up for her stay in New York. As she walked out of their view down the hallway, Bruce checked his watch, before sighing, "Well, there goes our breakfast time; it's almost 11AM."

He turned to Echo and Loki, saying with a shrug, "We _could_ have brunch, but I'm sure Steve is already preparing lunch for everyone. And you know how he is about making sure everyone eats."

As if on cue, the intercom crackled and Steve's voice was heard a second later. "Hey everyone, listen up. I'm thinking of spaghetti and some salad, or fried chicken and mashed pota–"

The speakers screeched with interference, making Loki and the others wince, then Clint interrupted with, "CHICKEEEEEN!"

"Well, Clint, this is a team decision. The rest of you, what do you wa–"

"I didn't know you were a cannibal, feathers. I'm disgusted, frankly. Can't believe you're my friend." Steve was cut off again when Tony and his sarcasm dropped into the conversation.

Echo rolled her eyes as Clint retorted, "Shut up Tinhead. Do I say anything when you give in to your robot side, and drink motor oil when you're working? I can eat what I want."

"What? I don't drink oil, asshole! I think you've been spending too much time in your nest. Obviously the air quality up there is having a bad affect on your brain."

"Well, at least I don't stay cooped up in my lab like a troll in a dunge–"

"For pete's sake, guys! I just wanted to know what you wanted for lunch!" Steve suddenly yelled, exasperation clear in his voice.

Echo grinned at the lack of arguments that followed, and walked casually over to the intercom in the medical bay. "Attention all children in the vicinity. Please leave your bickering for when you're not being broadcasted to _all levels of the Tower._"

The silence _itself_ seemed offended, and Echo's smile widened even more as Loki and Bruce erupting with laughter behind her. Pressing the button one more time, she added, "And Steve dear, spaghetti with salad sounds fantastic."

Looking back at Loki and Bruce, they nodded their heads in agreement, and Echo said, "Loki and Bruce agree with me as well."

"I second that notion!" Thor's voice burst out suddenly. "The Lady Natasha casts the same vote as I."

Ignoring the resounding _'NO!'_ that burst from the speakers – from both Clint _and_ Tony – Echo asked, "Would you like any help? I don't have anything else to do."

"Sure, that'd be great. I'll see you up here," Steve answered, clearly relieved that the other two had finally stopped arguing.

Echo stepped away from the intercom, smiling up at Loki as she passed him. "Are you going to join me?" She asked, pausing in the doorway.

To her slight disappointment, Loki shook his head. "I need to look through my books again. Even if I was reassured from Dr. Nemes words, I would like to make doubly sure that you will be all right."

At Echo's small frown, Loki walked up to her so he could pull her close. "It's just a precaution. You know how I worry. But I'll see you at lunch." With a grin, he joked, "I know Steve is a good cook, so I will blame any flaw in the dish on you. Best concentrate on cooking, rather than me."

_That_ did the trick, and a naughty grin immediately popped onto Echo's face. Her hands gripped in his shirt, Echo pulled Loki down to place a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll be sure to make your plate _extra_ special."

With a coy wink and impish grin, Echo spun on her heel, and fairly flounced out of the room, much to Loki's amusement.

* * *

In hindsight, it was probably not a good idea to have Echo near a hot stove. Nothing too bad had happened, but it caused a bit of unnecessary tension for a little while until Echo's temperature was brought back to normal. At the moment, she was resting on the couch after enjoying a rather nice lunch with the others, a damp cloth on her forehead to keep her body heat down.

Loki was grateful that Steve had been able to remain calm when Echo's hands and arms were suddenly covered with fire. After a few failed attempts to cut the flames herself, as she did earlier, Echo had become a bit anxious.

"_No, Steve, stay away. I don't want to hurt you!" Echo cried out, trying to calm down enough to concentrate on her energy. She knew she was breathing too quickly for her power to go down again, but she just couldn't control the flames this time._

_Everything had been going well, and she was having such a fun time cooking with Steve. He had surprised them all with his terrific cooking abilities, and he was the best teacher that she could have worked with. Then she had reached to the back of the stove to stir the sauce, leaning over the closed pot of boiling water in the process._

_Her face was warm, but Steve's cheeks were slightly pink, so Echo hadn't been too worried. _'It's just from cooking, that's all.'_ Oh, how wrong she had been. As she leant back again, a wave of heat had crashed over her, and the next second her entire arms were aflame._

_Jumping back in shock, Echo held her arms in front of her, clenching and unclenching her fists in an attempt to regain control. When it became clear that that wasn't going to work, Steve had leapt into action._

_Wrenching out the fire blanket that he had convinced Tony to buy for the kitchen _– "But Steve, we'll never use it! It'll just take up space that can be used for my snacks," – _he unrolled it, quickly turning back to Echo. Before she could protest, he wrapped her within the thick cloth, making sure her arms and the flames engulfing them were completely covered._

_For a moment, it seemed to be working, but then Echo felt another surge of heat go through her body. She pushed Steve away as hard as she could, turning her back to him as the fire strengthened once again. _'Come on, fight this! Why can't I _concentrate_?!'

_Steve felt a bit of hopelessness try to go through him, as he watched Echo bend over slightly, trying to regain control of her power. He had the strength to literally knock her out of it if he needed, but he _really_ didn't want to do that. Firstly, she was a teammate, a dear friend, and secondly, she was pregnant, and her life wasn't the only at stake if he hurt her._

'If only I could control ice, like Lo–' _Mentally slapping himself for being such a doofus, Steve turned to the sink, taking the few cups that were in it out quickly. Nearly wrenching the faucet off as he turned on the water full blast, Steve turned back to Echo._

_Taking Echo by the shoulders, Steve fairly dragged her over, plunging her arms into the sink. They were both immediately engulfed in steam, the fire spluttering and choking under the steady stream of water. Squinting through the cloud, Steve cupped his palm under the water, splashing it to reach Echo's upper arms._

_As he was standing right behind her, Steve could feel the slight shivers going through Echo's body; hear her teeth begin to chatter. But he needed to make sure the fire was out, and that Echo wouldn't relapse completely before taking her away from the water._

_After another minute, Steve looked down at Echo's arms, a sigh of relief leaving his lips when he didn't see any more fire. Echo was really shaking now, so Steve turned off the faucet quickly, the lack of streaming water making their ears ring from the sudden silence._

_Steve released Echo from his grip, stepping as she turned around slowly. A wave of concern went over him as he saw how she was holding herself, lips quivering from the cold. He saw that her shirt was nearly soaked through, and realized it was from him splashing her upper arms._

"_Are you OK?" Steve was surprised to hear her speak, and focused on her face again. She looked concerned for him, and asked again, "Steve, are you OK? Did I burn you at all?"_

_With a small smile at how, even after all that, Echo was only concerned about _his_ safety, Steve said, "No, you didn't burn me. I'm all right. How about you?"_

_She shrugged as best as she could as her shoulders shook. "Better...although I think I'm a little _too_ cold for comfort. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get a change of clothes."_

_Steve had offered to go with her, in case she dropped again, but she shook her head with a smile. "Nah, I'm OK now, but thank you. I just hope the spaghetti is fine – I should've known Loki's words earlier would jinx me." She left the room with a laugh, and Steve had to shake his head at how carefree she was able to be, even after all this._

* * *

Turning over to her left side, Echo closed her eyes again, exhaling slowly as she tried to fall asleep. A few seconds later, she groaned in frustration, her eyes flying open to peer into the darkness. Pursing her lips, Echo juggled a thought around a bit more, then whispered, "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Valentina," came the immediate response.

"Can you tell Loki to come here, please?"

As she waited, Echo turned on her bedside lamp, arranging the pillows so she could sit up comfortably. After another moment, Loki appeared in her room, clad in what had become his favorite pair of dark green sweats. He immediately walked towards her with a concerned expression. "Are you all right? What's going on?"

"I can't sleep." Loki climbed onto the bed, sitting beside Echo and pulled her snuggly into his right side, an arm draped protectively across her shoulder. "I just can't stop worrying about my lapses of control...and how it will affect the baby."

Leaning her head back against his shoulder, Echo sighed as she finally began to relax within Loki's embrace. "Stay and...can you...just talk about something. Tell me about the other symptoms I might get, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise like this one."

Loki frowned at how hesitant Echo was, but he had wanted to speak to her about this too. And if it helped her forget the events of today, at least for a little bit, then all the better.

"Well, I'm afraid the aversion to certain smells is a similar symptom for the Jötnar females. You may have a stronger reaction, but let us hope it does not happen that way," he said, smiling at Echo's murmur of agreement.

"Hmm, here's an interesting fact, although it's been causing me the most concern as well." Echo settled further into his side, and he rubbed his thumb against her arm gently. "Jötnar females have an extra layer over the womb, for as the child continues to grow, the fluid surrounding it becomes cooler and cooler until it's colder than the temperatures on Jotunheim."

"This is so that the child will not be uncomfortable when it is subjected to the freezing conditions of its homeland. The extra layer keeps the mother from feeling any pain or discomfort, but, as you are not a Jotun, you do not have this." Loki frowned, his thumb still rubbing her arm as he was lost in his thoughts for a moment.

"I am still trying to figure out a way to help you get through this, but as this occurs further along in the pregnancy, I am hopeful I will have a solution to this problem."

Echo shifted closer to Loki, tucking her cheek into his side, relishing the warmth that was created between them. "I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out," she murmured sleepily, her eyes falling shut.

Loki peeked down at Echo, smiling at the sight of her draped across his chest. Running a hand through her hair, his smile widened as she placed a hand on his stomach, idly tracing a pattern with her fingers. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Something rather important. The gestation period for Jötnar females is only 7 months, so that's bound to create some incidents in the future. However, there is plenty of information in the book my father gave me, and I have nearly memorized all that was written in that section. You will be fine, Echo, I promise."

When he didn't get a response, Loki looked down again, chuckling softly as he saw that Echo was fast asleep. Her lips were curved into the smallest of smiles, her breath slow and even in her peaceful slumber.

Loki ducked down to place a soft kiss on the top of her head, leaning back against the headboard with a small smile. "You'll be fine."

* * *

**Again, I cannot say how bad I feel for taking so long with this update. It was partly the lack of a muse, and then not having the time due to my trip. But, I finally managed to sit down and this came out. Hope it was all right - (I've made up the info on the Jotnar, so just humor me and believe it's true, hehe) - and I'll be trying my best to update sooner next time! Until then, take care everyone!**

**(PS: Echo is 7 weeks along in this chapter.)**

**-Ana :)**


	10. Chapter 10

***peeks around corner* Hey guys, I'm back! I cannot say how **_**sorry**_** I am for taking so long, but between returning home, then getting ready for and going back to college, it's been pretty hectic. But, I will be trying my best to get back into a regular schedule for updates. :)**

**Thanks to all those who've favorited since last time, followed, and reviewed – Spottedivy, Loki'sdreamer, Rhinodehamster, ZombieReader, Carlypso, DoctorLokiLove – and to all the rest of my fantastic readers! Now, without further ado, here's the next chapter! :)**

* * *

The snow was steadily falling, heavy and thick, making for very dangerous flying conditions. However, the men marching towards the row of MI-38 helicopters showed no signs of hesitation. There were five groups of 25 soldiers, covered from head to toe so that the cold did not affect them in any way.

With the below freezing temperatures, however, their thick clothing still would not have been enough to save them from frostbite. If it hadn't been for their Master protecting them with his powers, they surely would have died from these terrible conditions already.

They all felt extremely blessed to have such a generous boss, who gave them weapons, access to any military institution in the world, the means to take their revenge on those who had wronged them before. With the promise of having anything they desired after their mission was done, hunting down and capturing two meager people was entirely feasible.

None of them could remember what they had been doing before working for this strange cloaked figure, but it was not important. Anything that did not pertain to their mission was useless, and therefore unnecessary to try and remember. That was what their Master had told them, at least.

One man stood apart from the rest, the same who had delivered the news about the hidden cameras after their last mission. Making sure that everyone was in their assigned group, and that everything was being packed into the helicopters, he stood straight, glowering at everyone from behind his goggles.

He had been the leader of this squadron of men, but after being taken in by the Other, he was shown how much easier it was to be _under_ control rather than in it. Now he simply had to relay the Other's orders and messages to his former men.

Now that he had relinquished control, he also did not have to deal with any stragglers or misbehavers. The Other took care of them for him. He had a slight memory of being the fiercest commander that everyone had feared – but then again, it may have been a dream, for he could not remember a time when he had not been working for the Other.

With his new boss, his men had turned into the perfect armada. A voice, sounding suspiciously like his own, whispered from deep in his mind, "A little _too_ perfect. They were better men under your command – now they're only robots, and you a puppet to your _Master_."

Before he could puzzle further over that thought, a jolt went through his body, and the man snapped back into attention as the control over him was tightened. "Now, now, it won't do to allow thoughts like that," the Other said, sliding into view from behind him. "Our entire mission would fail, and I don't think you want that to happen...or _do you_, Sebastian?"

A dull pain began in the back of his skull, and Sebastian replied quickly, "Of course not Master. It won't happen again."

The Other sneered at the human. "You're lucky you're so valuable to me, for I cannot tolerate that sort of behavior. If you were anyone else, you would be dead already. Understand?" He sent another jolt of energy into the man's mind, smiling cruelly as he winced again before nodding his head. His eyes glowed bright blue as full control was restored, and the Other left him, satisfied once again.

Watching the proceedings, the Other allowed himself a smug smile as his new soldiers climbed into those ingenious contraptions. Although he could transport them all himself with magic, it would require more energy than he was willing to spend on these Midgardians. After all, there was a great distance between them and New York.

* * *

Loki woke with a start, gasping as he tried to catch his breath, having unconsciously held it while he was asleep. Groaning softly, he rubbed his eyes wearily, trying to forget the nightmare as quickly as possible. It had not been as bad as he knew they could become, but Loki still preferred not getting them at all. Especially if they were about Echo.

He had been walking through an underground tunnel, much like the one he had used as his secret headquarters during the battle of New York. It had seemed eerily silent, but the quiet was nothing Loki hadn't dealt with before. And then it happened.

Out of nowhere, but seeming to come from everywhere all at once, a scream had split through the air.

It had been undeniably female, a sound of pure anguish, and Loki's heart nearly stopped as he recognized it to be Echo's voice. He had run, sprinting as he desperately tried to pinpoint her location. And all the while, the screaming never wavered.

He remembered turning a corner in the dream, staggering to a halt at the sight of a large steel door, the screams clearly coming from behind it. He had reached out, turned the knob, and wrenched it open...only to wake up at that exact moment.

Loki's heart still beat heavily within his chest, and he turned on his side, stretching his arms as he reached for Echo. He needed to hold her close after that terrible dream, needed physical proof that she was all right. When his arms met cold sheets, Loki's eyes shot open once again, and he sat up instantly.

Blinking through the darkness, the only light coming from the clock reading 7:49AM, Loki hissed, "JARVIS, lights – _now_!" He was nearly blinded by the sudden brightness, but it did nothing to lessen his panic.

Loki scrambled hastily off the bed, nearly breaking his ankle when it got tangled in the sheets, and ended up on the floor for his troubles. He was ready to get JARVIS to notify the others, when his ears finally picked up the sound of the shower running in the bathroom.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Loki dropped his head back on the floor, his entire body relaxing now that he knew where Echo was. Untangling himself from the sheets, slowly now that he was calm, Loki rose to his feet and stretched properly after that little panicked episode.

Making his way to the bathroom, he opened the door, careful not to make any noise. A smile formed on his face as Loki heard the soft humming that came from the shower stall. Leaning the door closed, as the door clicking shut may attract Echo's attention, Loki rested his hip against the counter, taking advantage of this rare opportunity.

Tilting his head slightly, he could not place the melody. _'But it is soothing, nonetheless,'_ Loki thought, closing his eyes briefly as the last remnants of the nightmare were chased away.

Echo's silhouette could be seen through the foggy glass, and the need he still had to hold Echo in his arms grew as Loki traced her body with his eyes. Shedding his sweats quickly, he opened the shower door, carefully stepping onto the wet tiles beside Echo. Though he never got cold, Loki noticed that the water was cooler than he had expected.

Echo hadn't noticed him yet, as she was standing under the stream of water with her eyes closed, washing the shampoo out of her hair. As she lowered her hands again, Loki gently took hold of them, smiling at the little jump she made in surprise.

"What was with all the commotion out there? Did Clint play another prank on you?" She laughed. Blinking the water out of her eyes, Echo looked up at him, with a smile so sweet that Loki just pulled her close before the nightmare could rise again.

Loki felt her tense slightly before her arms circled his waist, one hand rising to rub his back softly. "Goodness Loki, I was only in here for ten minutes. I guess next time I'll wake you no matter _how_ peaceful you look, huh?" Loki could hear the concern in her voice even as she joked, and tightened his hold on her for another moment before stepping back slightly.

At her questioning look, Loki just brushed her cheek gently, saying, "Just a bad dream. Nothing I haven't dealt with before." Flashing her a grin before she could protest, Loki added, "Although your disappearance from the bed didn't exactly help."

Echo rolled her eyes wearily. "Well, forgive me if I wanted to cool down a bit." She turned away from Loki, reaching for the conditioner, smiling at the little huff of a laugh he made.

Pursing his lips at her nerve, Loki moved as she grabbed the bottle, taking hold of her wrist gently. Leaning up right behind her, her wet body against his sending all sorts of exquisite sensations through him, Loki breathed into her ear, "Such insolence toward a God, _mortal_."

There was a small "Oh, I'm 'mortal' now?" from Echo, but Loki just grinned and continued smoothly as if there hadn't been an interruption.

"Do I need to teach you a lesson?" He all but purred in her ear, his grin widening at the shudder that went through her body.

"You can _try_, but I'm afraid I'm not a good student," Echo replied easily, wriggling in Loki's hold, knowing _exactly_ what it was doing to her lover.

Holding back a groan, Loki gripped her hip with his other hand to keep her still. His fingers had brushed against her sides on the way, and she jerked backwards to get away from them, only to pause as she felt Loki's apparent arousal.

A wave of lust went through her, making her shiver, and Echo knew Loki noticed at the deep breath he took, his grip on her hip and wrist tightening slightly. Releasing her hip to run his hand up her side again, relishing the little moan she gave, Loki whispered, "I would have you now, my dear."

Echo began to turn her head back, about to answer when they suddenly heard Steve call from her room, "Hey Echo, sorry to wake you, but I need to ask you something." In her shock, Echo dropped the conditioner bottle, and the clatter that followed filled the bathroom. Almost immediately, Steve's voice was right behind the bathroom door, asking, "Echo, are you OK?"

Loki was about to yell out for Steve to leave, when he caught sight of Echo's expression. _'Oh, that grin can bode no well.'_ Raising a curious eyebrow, Loki remained quiet as Echo turned her head to look back at him and whispered, "Let's play a game. It's called, how much can Steve stand to hear before he runs away?"

"Oh Echo, you are _wicked_," Loki whispered back, although the idea had just the right amount of mischief and thrill in it to make it worth facing the others' reactions later on.

Echo's eyes gleamed at his approval, and she turned back to face the wall. "Oh, _Loki_." Her moan, albeit exaggerated for the game, sent all the right feelings through Loki's body, and he nearly released a true groan before catching himself.

Echo's body trembled against his as she suppressed a giggle at the throaty groan he emitted, the sound bouncing around the bathroom. Loki had to hold in a laugh as well, for he could nearly _feel_ the embarrassment Steve was radiating on the other side of the door. He hadn't heard the outside door shut yet, so the soldier was still waiting, though awkwardly. _'On to the next level.'_

Loki ran his hands down Echo's arms, taking hold of her wrists and walking forward so that her palms were flat against the shower wall. Moving her close to the wall – as much as he could while minding her small stomach – he rutted slowly and shamelessly against her backside, loving the small whimpers that Echo was trying to keep in.

"Give in to me, Echo," he managed between groans, his voice purposefully rougher for the sake of the game.

"No," she answered between breaths, biting her lip as he pressed closer behind her.

Loki placed open-mouthed kisses on the warm caramel skin of her back that he could reach, moving upwards when she squirmed in his hold. He toyed with her earlobe, enticing little gasps as she struggled to stay in control, not wanting to _truly_ traumatize the soldier _still outside the door_.

Her efforts were all for naught however, when Loki nipped a spot behind her ear, and she released a surprisingly loud but _extremely _erotic gasp. She even shocked herself, if her sudden full-body freeze was anything to go by.

Loki moved forward to see if he could get the same reaction again, but then Echo suddenly lifted her head and called out clearly, "Steve dear, if you're still there, you _might_ want to leave now." Loki grinned at the running footsteps that were closely followed by a door slamming shut.

"Now," Loki started, his deep voice reverberating around the shower. "I'd _love_ to hear that sound again." Before Echo could stop him, his lips were locked behind her ear, teeth lightly scraping the sensitive skin. She shook like a leaf, the reaction causing Loki to suck at the spot, just to see what would happen.

Echo gasped for breath, her knees buckling as Loki continued torturing her newly-found weak spot. His tongue came out to lick roughly where his teeth had just been, before his lips returned to suck hard. Her legs nearly gave out again, and Echo could feel the vibrations going through Loki's chest against her back as he laughed at her reactions. _'Well, two can play at that game.'_

Loki's breath hitched as Echo suddenly – the little minx – rocked her hips backwards into him, sending a spike of arousal straight to his groin. Unable to wait any longer, Loki reached down behind Echo, slipping a finger into her soaking heat as he kissed behind her ear at the same time.

The shuddering gasp that Echo gave off made Loki even more eager to be inside her again, and he worked his fingers in and out of her quickly but carefully. Her gasps rose in volume, until she finally managed to say, "I'm ready, I'm ready. Just take me already."

"Whatever my lady wishes," Loki said with a grin, taking his fingers out of her leisurely, chuckling at the annoyed huff she made.

Turning Echo around, she immediately claimed his lips in a heated kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him close. He lifted her easily with his great strength, hands hooked under her thighs as he held her against the wall, ever mindful of her stomach.

Making eye contact, Loki silently questioned once more, and the lust-filled look in her eyes was all he needed. With her weight balanced evenly in his arms, Loki positioned himself and pushed into her in one go, muffling his groan against her shoulder.

The bathroom was filled with their heavy pants as they took a moment to savor being that close to the other again. Lifting his forehead, Loki adjusted his grip on her thighs, careful with the bump between them, and pulled out to begin a steady pace.

He wanted nothing more than to take her as fast as he wanted, but knew that he had to be more careful now. The way the more-pronounced curve slid against his stomach every now and then with his thrusts reminded him to be gentle...although Echo begging him to go faster did not help his control.

"Please, Loki." The sight of Echo becoming undone in front of him, bouncing slightly with each of his thrusts, was so delicious that Loki had to forcefully keep himself from granting her wishes.

Echo had her eyes closed, arms hanging loosely around his neck as she gave in to him, but he was more than able to hold her up. Her cheeks were flushed red, lips kiss-bruised and mouth open as _beautiful_ gasps escaped it, wet hair curling from the steam of the shower.

Loki shook his head slightly to gain a bit of control back, as his mind noticed there shouldn't be that much steam with the water at its' cooler temperature. He looked back at Echo, and couldn't help the chuckle that rose as he saw the light mist emanating from her skin.

Her eyes crept open as he slowed his movements then stopped entirely, pupils blown, the brown orbs glassy with desire even as she peered up at him curiously. "You are literally _steaming hot_, my love," he laughed, leaning down to capture her lips in another kiss before she could voice her worry.

Swallowing her moan as he rolled his hips again, he whispered against her lips, "Not to worry. I can fix that." He allowed his body temperature to lower, not completely but enough that he felt Echo's skin cool exponentially in a few seconds. "Now," Loki bit at her collarbone, feeling one of her hands trailing up to tangle in his hair as he did. "I believe you were _asking_ me something."

Loki began a slow though deep pace, feeling Echo's legs tighten reflexively around his waist as a wave of pleasure coursed through her. "Nngh,_ there_," she breathed.

"Hmm, say my name. And I will give you what you need," Loki said, holding back a groan after another deep thrust.

"Never," Echo laughed softly, sticking her tongue out half-heartily.

Loki grinned back before capturing her lips in his, sucking her tongue into his mouth. Quickening his pace, drawing more moans from Echo as he changed the angle slightly, Loki repeated a bit huskily, "Say my name, _dear_."

Echo tightened her hold in his hair instinctively as his thrusts became faster, her other hand gripping his shoulder as she fought to stay in control. "No – oh my _God_," she cried, her protest turning into a drawn out moan as Loki sucked another bruise onto her neck.

Smiling against her skin, Loki taunted, "Close, but not quite." His hips beginning to quicken naturally as his end neared, he panted beside her ear, louder this time, "Say _my name_."

Puffs of warm air brushed past his ear as Echo's breathe sped up, the small whimpers she released in time with his thrusts causing jolts to go straight to his groin. The wet slap of skin against skin bounced off the walls, and Loki thrust as fast as he could into Echo while still being careful.

With his climax just upon him, and Echo's not far behind if the sounds coming from her were anything to go by, Loki yelled, "_SAY MY NAME!_"

"LOKI!" Echo's climax hit her full-force, and the feeling of her clenching around him brought Loki over the edge right after her. He gave a few more shallow thrusts, riding out his orgasm, before his hips finally stilled.

Pulling carefully out of Echo, Loki lowered her gently to the ground, keeping a protective hand on her waist. With a small giggle, Echo said, "I'm fine, Loki. I won't keel over or anything."

Unable to resist, Loki replied with a small shrug, "Of course. I _did_ go gentle on you, after all."

Echo scoffed, though Loki saw the small grin on her face before she could turn around to hide it. "You're hopeless, I swear," came the small mutter as she grabbed the soap to wash herself.

Pulling her close one last time, placing a quick kiss on her left temple, Loki rinsed himself off then left the shower before Echo could push him out herself. He dried quickly enough, his hair only somewhat before deciding to let it air dry, feeling sated and lazy after that little romp in the shower.

As he entered Echo's room, Loki was about to teleport back to his room when he paused. _'Steve has surely told the others' what he overheard this morning by now...otherwise the game would have been for naught.'_ A mischievous grin forming on his face, Loki strolled to the bedroom door, and grabbed the handle.

Exiting Echo's room as casually as if it were his, with only a towel around his waist, Loki turned his head at the exasperated groan that reached his ears. His grin growing as he saw Tony standing there, eyes shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose, Loki asked innocently, "Do you have a headache, Stark?"

"No, but you and Echo sure are _giving_ me one!" Tony replied, glaring at Loki. "Any other time, I would have jumped at the idea to traumatize Steve – but _not_ this early in the morning. And definitely not when Bucky isn't here to calm him down."

Walking up to Loki, Tony poked him in the chest, saying, "Do you know how my morning started? I just wanted my coffee, but what do I get? A tomato-red Steve running into the kitchen as if his ass was on fire! No, don't – don't laugh!" But Loki only laughed harder when he saw that Tony was struggling not to laugh himself.

"Goddammit, what the hell did you guys _do_?" Tony wiped a tear from his eye, breathing deeply as he regained control. "I mean, from what we were able to decipher, he only _heard_ something, but the poor thing was nearly crying by the end of it."

Loki only grinned, answering with, "You'll have to get it out of the Captain. Echo and I will not be saying a word." Tony pursed his lips, frowning at Loki, but he only smiled calmly back.

Eventually Tony sighed. "Well, since you two are sneaking into each others' rooms to do fuck-knows-what, you might as well have one for the both of you." Turning back to the kitchen, he called back, "I'll probably end up remodeling this entire area, since I wander into Bruce's room sometimes, and I'm sure Birdbrain ends up in Nat's room, and..." Tony's voice trailed off as he walked around the corner, and Loki rolled his eyes at how easily the inventor could get distracted.

Loki took one step towards his room before his stomach growled suddenly, and he paused. His mind was made for him when he heard the others' voices coming from the kitchen, Steve's in particular, and Loki made his way to get some breakfast, still clad only in a simple towel.

'_After _all_, I hadn't been able to see how red Steve's face had turned earlier.'_

* * *

**~ Echo is 7wks, 1 day pregnant in this chapter. ~**

**Oh my gosh, I wrote the shower scene during class and on the bus today, and even when someone sat next to me, I didn't stop – I'm terrible, aren't I? ;P **_**But**_**, it was barely legible, so I think I'm all good, hehe. And, I just **_**needed**_** to get this chapter out, because it has truly been way too long. I didn't realize how much I missed writing until I started this chapter, and I **_**promise**_** I will be updating on a regular basis again.**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed their little shenanigans, (I almost forgot to add the 'say my name' part, since it's been so long), and that the part with the Other was all right. Feedback is appreciated as usual!**

**Oh, and this is your last chance to vote, as next chapter, Echo'll be having her first ultrasound! Yaaaaay! :D All right, I think I've rambled on enough, hehe. Take care everyone, and I'll be updating on Saturday!**

**-Ana :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Huge**_** thanks for everyone for their continuous support – I just felt so bad for the tardiness of the last chapter, but I wouldn't have blamed you if you just gave up on me and my little story. So, I was super happy when I received all these lovely reviews from: Thalionwen, ZombieReader, DoctorLokiLove, LionDove, .witch, Loki'sdreamer, and my guest!**

**Thalionwen: Haha, that's **_**exactly**_** what inspired that part – when I saw the video of him in SDCC, I was just blown away. This man is amazing, hehe. :D**

**Guest: Echo's stomach is still small right now, sorry if my descriptions made it seem like it was bigger! And yes, they won't be finding out the sex just yet – I've done research, hehe, but thanks for the information! Don't even worry, it's not bothersome. :)**

**Hehe, I traumatized my sister with the last chapter, and she only read up to the part until Steve left. *sigh* Still so innocent. ;P Anyways, here's the next chapter – sorry again, it's a day late. :)**

* * *

"I can't believe we're going to see our baby today!" Echo exclaimed happily, fairly vibrating with excitement. Loki smiled up at her from where he was sitting beside the bed she was perched on.

Their morning had started with Echo waking up a bit earlier and with _far_ more energy than the past few days. The anxiety that had gripped Loki had lessened due to Echo's more than eager attitude, but he was still a bit nervous.

'_How can we see the child before it is born, and not harm it?'_ He was still unaccustomed to certain Midgardian contraptions, but since Echo did not seem afraid, Loki decided to trust her. For now. If she became uncomfortable during the process, he would order the doctor to stop immediately.

Lisa was due to arrive in a few minutes, but Echo had gone with Bruce to the medical bay an hour ago, when he had prepared the equipment. Loki had had no choice but to follow her, but with her continuous enthusiasm, he didn't have the _chance_ to become tense again.

Glancing over at Echo again, he took in her appearance to get his mind off of the upcoming event for a bit. She was wearing a loose pair of blue running shorts and a red V-neck t-shirt, her brown hair up in a quick bun on her head. Her eyes gleamed in a way that Loki wished could remain forever, but the bit of nerves that affected her was revealed in the way she was fiddling her fingers in her lap.

Loki caught one of her swinging feet, effectively bringing her out of her daze. Brown eyes met his, and he felt warmth go through him at the sheer adoration shining in them. "Are you feeling all right?"

A brilliant smile, an eager nod, and a quick chirp of "Yep!" followed each other in quick succession, making Bruce chuckle from across the room. Loki opened his mouth to say something else, but just then the lock on the door clicked.

Looking over, Loki both felt relieved and anxious to see Lisa enter the room. Relieved, for it was someone he knew and not an enemy. His stomach flipped uncomfortably, however, for he knew the moment was coming soon, and he still did not trust the machines they would use.

"Hello, dear, how are you doing?"

Loki jerked back to reality to hear Echo answer, "I'm pretty good. Nervous and excited to see our baby finally."

Lisa smiled warmly at Echo, placing her equipment on the table nearby and helping Bruce prepare the machines they needed. "You should be, this is a huge moment." Placing a sheet on the end of the bed, she said, "So today, I'd like to do a transvaginal ultrasound, to get more accurate information. But, if you'd rather do an abdominal, that'll be fine. It's up to you."

Loki watched as Echo worried her lip between her teeth, before pursing them as she thought. She looked back at Lisa, saying, "If you think the transvaginal is better for the first ultrasound, then I'm fine with that option."

"Okay then, here's the sheet to lay over your lower half, and I'll be over here to give you some privacy as you change." As Lisa walked away with Bruce, Echo gestured for Loki to come closer.

"Can you help me slip off my shorts? To make it quicker?" Echo whispered, unfurling the sheet so that it covered her stomach and lower half. Loki nodded, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the others were looking away, then placed his hands under the sheet to grab her shorts.

Echo lifted her hips at the right moment, and then she was ready, calling Lisa back over. Loki felt his heart begin to pound as the doctor stationed herself on the other side of Echo's bed, going through a final check of the machine and probe she was going to use.

The probe itself was thin, about 2cm in diameter, and covered with a protective sheath. Loki watched as Lisa applied a bit of gel to it, then asked Echo to bend her knees as her hand disappeared under the sheet. "There'll be a bit of pressure, but you just let me know if it becomes uncomfortable, OK?"

Echo nodded, her gaze transfixed on the big screen they were all able to see. Lisa clicked a button, and Loki found his eyes drawn to the monitor as the picture began to move. It was a curious thing, black and white shadows with no discernible shape. However, as the probe moved to get a better image, he saw something – or rather, _two_ somethings – that he would recognize no matter _where_ he came from.

"Well, I see two little heartbeats," Lisa said cheerfully, grinning at the mesmerized couple. "Congratulations, you're having twins!"

Loki looked down at Echo, a wide smile stretching his face, even as disbelief ran through his body. She had her mouth covered with both hands, wide eyes staring at the _clearly two_ little spots on the screen. Peeking up at Loki, Echo lowered her hands to reveal a smile just as huge and joyful as his own.

Grabbing one of his hands in hers, Echo whispered, as if saying it too loud would shatter the moment, "Loki...we're having twins! _Twins_!"

"And I could never be happier," Loki said, kissing the hand in his softly. "You are an amazing woman, for giving me more than I could have ever asked for, and the amount of pride I feel cannot be expressed in a mere few words." Echo blinked and a few tears that had gathered in her eyes trickled down her cheeks.

Reaching up with her other hand to swipe them away quickly, she said, "You don't know how happy I am to hear that, Loki. I love you so much." Feeling wetness in the corners of his own eyes, Loki cleared his throat loudly, turning back to Lisa and Bruce.

Bruce looked as surprised as Loki felt, and shook his head with a smile. "Well, I know a few people who will be _very _excited to hear this bit of news, so I have to leave you for a few minutes. I'll try to keep them at bay as long as I can," he laughed, closing the door behind him as he headed to the elevator.

Lisa's own eyes were suspiciously moist, but once the attention was back on her, she quickly wiped them and moved back to the machine. "All right, whenever you're ready, you're going to need to hold still, so we can try to listen to the heartbeats."

'_Listen to them?'_ Loki's concern grew, and he asked rapidly, "And this will not harm the children, correct?"

Lisa looked surprised for a moment, before a look of understanding crossed her face. "No, of course not. Ultrasounds, either abdominal or endovaginal like Echo's having now, are perfectly safe to both the mother and the baby. Or in your case, babies."

The hand in Loki's squeezed his as Lisa said that, and he shared another quick smile with his ecstatic lover. "This is just so we can make sure that the babies are growing healthy, and be able to act if something goes wrong. I would never do anything that would harm either of them," Lisa assured him, looking back at the screen at Loki's nod.

"OK, so this will be 'Baby A,' here," Lisa said, pointing to the dark spot closer to the top of the screen. "And now," the screen was magnified slightly, before she said, "we're just going to have a listen."

Loki's amazement with the Midgardian's machines was only doubled as suddenly a rapid thumping filled the room. Echo gave a choked laugh, tears forming in her eyes again as she tightened her grip on Loki's hand. "Oh my gosh, that's our baby. _Listen_, Loki."

He could only nod in response, not trusting his voice at the moment. He rubbed his thumb over Echo's hand while Lisa explained, "So, let me get the heart rate." A few clicks, and then, "143! Very good."

"All right, now I'm going to measure, from the head to the baby's bottom. And...this one's a little over a centimeter, so that's good."

Lisa glanced over at them when Echo asked, "Will we be able to print out pictures of the ultrasound, if that's all right?"

"Oh, of course! I'll get those for you afterwards, but yes, we can definitely print some out," Lisa replied happily, adjusting the probe so that they could now see Baby B. Another couple of seconds, and a second set of heartbeats could be heard. "Now, let's see what we have here. Wow, 157, that's very good."

"They're both in the normal range though, so no worries there." Loki was captivated by the monitor, watching as the probe moved to measure their second child. "So, this one's a _little_ bit bigger, at 13 millimeters versus the 11 millimeters of Baby A."

"All right, for the picture, let's see if we can get them both into one. It's a little tricky, but...there, got them."

The two spots shimmered in front of Loki's eyes, and for a moment he thought the screen had malfunctioned. It was only when he heard Echo whisper, "Oh, Loki," he realized that he had teared up at the sight of his children. Wiping his eyes harshly, he said, "I'm fine. I'm just..." Catching sight of Echo's unbridled joy shining in her face, despite the streaks down her cheeks, Loki finished honestly, "Happy. _Extremely _happy."

The room was silent for a moment, other than the beeps and whirs from the machine as Lisa printed the pictures of first both babies, then a close up of each. Loki was still so fascinated by the screen that he nearly jumped when Lisa began speaking again. "I'll be taking a look at your ovaries and everything, just to make sure everything looks normal."

Echo replied softly, "Okay," adjusting her position slightly before lying still again. It was silent for another minute, and then Lisa was saying, "All right, everything looks good!"

As Lisa pushed the machine away, cleaning and placing the probe back where it belonged, Echo said, "Thank you so much. You don't know how happy this has made me – us."

"Oh, I can imagine, since Daddy here has had that same grin on his face the whole time," Lisa teased, laughing with Echo at the blush that spread across Loki's cheeks.

The rest of the appointment was filled with Lisa asking Echo the usual questions, how she was feeling and if she had any questions or concerns. "Well, as Loki has told me, Jotun females are actually pregnant for only 7 months. How do you think that will affect my pregnancy?"

Lisa looked thoughtful for a moment, looking over at Bruce – who had been able to join them a bit earlier after escaping the others – and sharing a knowing look. Turning back to Loki and Echo, she said, "For now, it's too early to tell. From today's visit, the babies seem to be developing as normally as expected by human standards. However, we will keep an eye out for any differences, and _you _are to tell me straight away if something happens, all right?"

Echo nodded quickly under Lisa's firm gaze, breathing out slowly when Lisa looked away with a smile. "But for now, everything seems to be going perfectly, and I think we can bring this visit to an end."

Echo gave Lisa a tight hug, each wiping away a few more tears after they parted. Loki and Bruce looked at each other, Bruce shrugging at the women's reactions as Loki grinned. He shook Lisa's hand firmly, thanking her for her help and then begrudgingly allowing her to give him a quick hug.

Once Bruce left with Lisa again, Loki turned towards Echo just in time to receive an armful of his lover as she buried her face into his chest. Raising her head, she whispered with a small grin, "Hey Loki, guess what?"

Loki smiled back, asking just as softly, "What, my darling Echo?"

She pulled him down for a kiss, leaving her arms around his neck so she could lean her forehead against his. "We're having _twins_!"

* * *

– **Echo is 7 weeks, 4 days pregnant in this chapter –**

**Well, there ya have it! **_**Twins!**_** The gender of each is still unknown, but I'm sure you can guess that easily enough. You guys don't know how much fun I had writing this chapter – I simply can't wait until I become a mother, so just writing about someone going through that experience has me super excited, hehe. I'm silly, I know. ;) **

**I hope you all enjoyed the update, sorry again that it was late, but I will be updating again on Thursday! I hope you all have a good start to the week tomorrow, and until next time, take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, sorry I was late again. I just couldn't concentrate last night, (mostly due to the heat), and I didn't want to give you a lousy update. Hope you understand. Huge thanks to those who've reviewed – Spottedivy, DoctorLokiLove, Loki'sdreamer, Rhino – my followers, 'favoriters', hehe, and the rest of my awesome readers. Your support is greatly appreciated! (Especially since I'm letting you down so much with the late updates.)**

* * *

Loki sat nearly asleep at the kitchen table, having had a rough past few days due to Echo waking up either late at night or early in the morning to throw up again. He had wished that the morning sickness was over, but it was a fool's hope. Bruce and Lisa _had_ told them that the nausea would ebb around 12 to 14 weeks after all.

'_A few more weeks then, my lover, then hopefully it'll be easier for you,'_ Loki thought, looking towards the bedroom where Echo was catching up on sleep after finally getting a break for a night.

It was only a few days since the shower scene – or, 'The Day Steve Lost the Remainder of His Innocence,' as Tony and Bucky liked to refer to it – but their bedrooms had already been remodeled. Loki's magic had played a big part in that, but the way Tony went on, it had been his sheer brilliance that helped them complete the project quickly.

The eight single rooms had been reduced to five; each now with walk-in closets, slightly larger bathrooms, and overall lots more space in the actual bedrooms. Loki and Echo's room was the most changed, as Loki had added a wall in their room, with a doorway that would lead to their children's side of the room.

On one side of the hallway were Clint and Natasha's room, and Loki's and Echo's slightly extended room. Across from them were Tony and Bruce's room, then Thor's, and finally Steve's. Bucky had recently moved in and would share with Steve, naturally, and though he had his own missions, it seemed he would become a permanent resident of the Tower as well.

Loki slid back into reality as Steve's voice made its way through his thoughts – somewhat. "Can you repeat that, please?" Loki asked, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"I asked if you wanted waffles too, or something else?" Steve kept his eyes on Loki as he asked, but still managed to swat Bucky's hand away as he tried to steal the spoon from the bowl of batter, the shadow of a smile on his lips. The smells coming from the stove were intoxicating, but at the moment Loki could barely keep his eyes open and just shrugged in response.

"Damn, you're already _this_ tired in Echo's first trimester? How are you going to deal when the babies' are actually born?" Tony asked incredulously, making Loki jump slightly since the inventor had appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey, leave him alone," Clint piped up from where he was sitting on the counter, a plate of steaming waffles beside him. Placing another large forkful in his mouth, he said past the food, "Can't you see the poor thing is pooped?"

Loki glared over his shoulder at the archer, turning away in disgust at the sight of the half-chewed waffles lying on Clint's now extended tongue. "Repulsive," he murmured under his breath, leaning his elbows on the table, his head in his hands.

"Did you hear that?! I was standing up for him, and that is how he thanks me?"

"Shut up Clint, it's too early for this," Natasha said easily, tapping Clint's jaw as she passed him on the way to the fridge. He closed it obediently, sullenly looking down at his waffles while he stabbed them with his fork.

Bruce casually slid a mug in front of Loki, who immediately perked up as the smell of coffee filled his nose. Taking a sip, Loki turned his eyes back to Tony when he said, "Man, I know you're a God, but at the rate you're going, you'll have grey hair in no time!"

"Then perhaps _you_ would like to care for Echo as she empties her stomach unwillingly at 3 o'clock in the morning? And what would you do when her temperature rises, or worse still, she loses control of her powers again? I'm sure you wouldn't last a _day_," Loki snarled, massaging his forehead to stall the impending headache.

"Well, as _fun_ as that sounds, I'd rather not be left in Tony's care. No offense, of course," Echo said as she slid into the kitchen, winking at the now smirking billionaire. Loki had sat up in shock at the sound of Echo's voice in place of Tony's, and Echo laughed at the rather confused look he had on his face now.

Padding over, Echo ruffled his hair slightly, smiling at the annoyed little huff he made. She leant down to place a kiss on his cheek, but she never made it that far. Tony moved past them at that moment, causing a bit of wind to waft the steam of Loki's coffee to Echo's nose.

Loki watched, perplexed, as Echo's face suddenly scrunched up in disgust and her hand rose to cover her nose and mouth. Spinning around, she ran from the room, nearly bowling the newly-awakened Thor over as he tried to enter the kitchen.

"Echo!" The entire kitchen came to life, with Loki being the first one through the doorway after her. Running around the corner, Loki met the eyes of a concerned Bucky, who pointed immediately at the open door for the bedroom that he and Echo shared.

"Echo, are you all right?" The sound of retching made its' way to his ears, and Loki sighed sadly, walking swiftly to the bathroom. _'Well, that answers that question.'_ Stepping across the tiled floor, he knelt beside a trembling Echo and placed a hand on her back.

Rubbing soothing circles on the tense muscles, Loki whispered, "Just let it out, it'll be over soon. And we will find out what caused this sudden reaction, so that it does not happen again." Echo could only nod slowly in answer, coughing into the toilet as her stomach clenched painfully again.

After a few more minutes, Echo managed to lift her head, cheeks somewhat red from the force of being sick. She rose on unsteady legs, making her way to the sink so she could wash her face and rinse out her mouth. Exiting the bathroom when she had regained a bit of strength, she laughed softly at the worried superheroes that had gathered in her room.

"I'm all right now, but I have some bad news," she said with a rueful smile. "I'm afraid we're going to have to ban coffee from the Tower...or at least, when I'm around."

Tony's reaction was instantaneous, clutching at his heart in a way that actually had Bruce shoot a concerned look at him, before frowning disapprovingly. "I know, I'm going to miss the coffee too, but unless you want an unpleasant surprise each breakfast, that's what we need to do," Echo said, genuinely looking sorry.

Tony opened his mouth to speak, but Steve quickly cut over him, "It's completely fine Echo, we'll manage." Ignoring the way Tony was glaring at him, he continued, "Just let us know which smells you can't stand, and we'll act accordingly."

* * *

After Tony had JARVIS rid the kitchen of the smell of coffee, having him open the windows and using fans to blow the air around and keep it fresh, breakfast went by relatively smooth. Loki watched in amusement as the others kept their eyes on Echo when a new item was brought to the table, watching for any sign of a bad reaction.

She was taking it well, laughing at how cautious they all were around her. Once the hours rolled by, however, they stopped being as worried, and went through their routines as usual. Sadly, the peace wasn't to last.

Echo lay on the couch, propped up by a pillow, reading a book that Clint had lent her, and watching the others go about their business around her. She didn't want to worry Loki, but she felt extremely tired and didn't want to move a single muscle. Getting sick in the morning hadn't helped in the least, draining her of even more energy.

Thus after breakfast, she had dragged her pillow over, made herself comfortable, and immersed herself into the book. She had to say the book was pretty good, although it had been surprising to find that Clint liked those types of stories.

She had just read the part when the young boy coughed up the elusive golden ball he had been chasing, after taking an impressive plunge towards the ground and almost accidentally swallowing it. Then the elevator dinged, and she looked up to see Steve entering the room, clad in his dark blue shorts with red stripes down the sides, and a white tank top.

Holding back a laugh, Echo waved at him as he passed, before looking at the clock. _'Yep, right on time.'_ As the others had quickly realized, Steve kept to a strict schedule, and would feel rushed if he was more than 5 minutes off. He would get up early and go for a run, then come back and make breakfast for everyone.

Then he would go off and take care of either S.H.I.E.L.D business, or any other thing he had to do, and once he was done, he would head down to the gym. At exactly 11:15AM, Steve would come back up, and take a shower. By 11:30, he was in the kitchen, preparing lunch.

Clint called him a weirdo; Bruce said he was the most organized out of all of them, even Natasha. Tony repeated that Steve was strange, while the rest of them sighed in resignation and thanked Steve for all his hard work.

Echo glanced back and forth from the book and the clock, waiting to see if Steve would be on time yet again, or if today would be _the day_. But to her disappointment, a freshly showered Steve, dressed now in light blue shorts and his usual white t-shirt, made his way into the kitchen at 11:21AM.

'_Goodness, he's even _earlier_ than usual!'_ Echo huffed, wriggling a bit to get comfortable again after that anti-climax. The sound of something grilling reached her ears, and a grin crept onto her face as she prepared herself for the smell of Steve's delicious cooking to enter the living room.

The next second she lunged off the couch as her nose corrupted the smell of chicken into something utterly disgusting. Echo heard Steve call after her as she ran through a bedroom door, barely making it to the toilet before she emptied her stomach yet again.

She heard footsteps behind her, distinctly thinking, _'Well, Loki got here quick,'_ before another wave of nausea swept through her and she heaved once more. It was when she felt rather callused fingers hesitantly pull her hair out of her face, instead of the cool smooth ones she expected, that she realized she had run into the first bedroom she had seen.

"There, there. It's, uh, all right." Clint's uncertain voice made its way past the ringing in her ears, and Echo wanted to laugh at how timid the usually boisterous man was. But the sound turned into a cough halfway, and she retched once more into the porcelain bowl.

A warm hand patted her back awkwardly, obviously Clint's attempt to comfort her. "Ugh, what'd you eat? You barely had breakfast, how much can you throw up?"

'_So much for comforting me,'_ Echo thought wearily as she leant her head against the seat, a smile worming its way onto her face despite it all. Raising her arm weakly, she swatted Clint's leg as hard as she could...which wasn't hard at all, sadly.

"Aw, who's like the child now?" He nudged her with his toe, laughing as she grumbled incoherently at him. Echo flushed the toilet, arms shaking as she struggled to her feet. She stumbled after taking a step to the sink, but caught herself just on time, Clint ready to help right behind her.

Smiling grimly, she said softly, "Thanks," before turning towards the mirror, wincing at what she saw. Her complexion was pale, eyes red with dark shadows under them from lack of sleep, and clearly showing the exhaustion she felt. Exhaling slowly, she quickly rinsed her mouth, grimacing at the aftertaste.

"Hmm, I agree. You look like shit." Rolling her eyes, she spun around to whack the smirking archer again, only to crumple as dizziness hit her suddenly. Darkness framed the edge of her sight, her legs buckling underneath her, and she shut her eyes as the room spun around her.

Echo startled when she was held up by a pair of strong arms, one steady hand on her lower back, the other gripping her elbow firmly. "Breathe, Echo, I've got you." For once Clint was serious, although his voice was calm and soothing as always. She was lifted slightly, so she could get her feet under herself again, but all of her strength had left her.

"Oh, I see, playing weak now? Is this revenge for what I said earlier?" Echo dropped her head onto his chest, unable to hold it up anymore, a breath of a laugh escaping her lips. "All right fine, missy, just this once."

The arm around her back gripped her more firmly, while the other crept down to hook under her knees. The world tilted, and she groaned softly, tensing as her stomach flipped uncomfortably. "Hey, don't throw up on me. I'll call your lover boy so you can throw up on him, deal? Hey, JARVIS?"

"Already done, Mister Barton."

Clint walked carefully out of the room, holding Echo close to his chest so she wasn't jostled too much. In truth, it had scared the crap out of him when her eyes had suddenly rolled up, nearly fainting in front of him in the bathroom. Well, firstly he'd gotten a shock when she had suddenly barreled through his room, clearly too disoriented to realize where she was.

He wasn't used to being comforting in situations like that, so he was glad when Echo finally stopped heaving into his toilet. But then she could barely hold herself upright, and it had pained him to see her so weak. _'Well, being sick repeatedly would take its' toll on anyone,'_ he thought, stepping out of his room to see a worried looking Steve waiting for him.

"Is she all right?" Steve's eyes were glued on nearly sleeping woman in his arms, but before Clint could answer, Steve said, "I put the chicken I was cooking away, and JARVIS cleared the kitchen again, so you can put her in the living room again now."

Clint did a double take, before grinning down at Echo, whose face was still turned into his shirt. "Are you kidding me? First coffee, now chicken? I'm feeling kind of suspicious, Echo. Sure you're not faking this to get back at me?"

One eye opened to glare up at him, and she mumbled, "Why'd I...fake _this_?"

"Ha, you're right. That display in the bathroom looked too good to be fake," he laughed, walking into the living room only to nearly collide with none other than Loki.

"Echo, are you all right? What happened?" Clint took a step back instinctively, freezing when Loki growled warningly.

"She's just pooped, is all. Now, you're actually _lucky_ I was there, otherwise she'd have collapsed in the bathroom, and I don't think you want that."

Clint grinned when he heard Echo murmur under her breath, "Cocky bastard," before she reached out for Loki. Clint readily handed over his charge to the God, who then sat on the couch, laying Echo onto it beside him.

Within minutes, she was asleep, utterly exhausted from the whole ordeal, and Clint had to repeat to Loki what exactly transpired while he had been on the other floor.

Clint was just about done with the small tale when the alarms suddenly began blaring, and JARVIS stated, "There have been reports of attacks by a group of Russian men. They arrived armed to the teeth, and are calling for the Avengers. They also have the same blue eyes that both Mister Barton and Mister Laufeyson sported during the Battle of New York, if my comparisons are correct."

Loki immediately sat straight, cursing vehemently. "The Other has returned." Standing up, his armor shimmering around him immediately, Loki turned to the others, saying, "Well? I will not stand by any longer, while that monster roams free."

It took just a few mere minutes, and they were all ready to – hopefully – end the Other once and for all. _'Or at least find out where the damn alien is hiding,'_ Clint thought angrily.

He was about to run into the Quinjet, when Steve stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "No, you stay back and watch over Echo. Use those sharp eyes, and keep anyone from nearing the Tower, understood?"

Clint nodded curtly, catching Natasha's eyes immediately after, exchanging the usual message of 'be careful,' that they always shared before a fight. Then she was gone, having hopped into the pilots' seat in his place.

Gripping his bow tightly, he watched his teammates fly away, before turning away and heading back into the Tower to Echo.

* * *

Loki clenched and unclenched his fist sporadically, worry for leaving Echo behind spiking as he thought of the Other being so close by. Those worries were pushed to the back of his mind, however, when the jet suddenly jerked to the side as Natasha cursed from the front.

"Whatever weapons they're using, they're nothing I've ever seen before!" The jet jerked again, this time to other side, and Natasha said quickly, "I'm going to try and land, but be prepared for a bumpy ride."

This time Loki saw the ray of blue light fly past the front of the jet, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the energy, having used it too many times while under the Other's control. Bracing himself for impact, his earbud suddenly crackled to life, as did the others', and then Clint's voice was heard. And what he said sent a trickle of fear down Loki's spine.

"_Shit guys, they're over here too!"_

* * *

**Meh, I'm not very happy with that ending, but I needed to get this out to you guys, before it got too out of hand. Let me know what you think, or what I should improve. I hope this was OK, especially since it was late, and I will be trying my best to post the chapter on time next update. So, let's cross our fingers, and see if I can get another chapter to you on Wednesday. Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Welp, looks like I didn't make it **_**again**_**. *drops to knees and begs for forgiveness* Mondays and Wednesdays are pretty busy for me, but it's the night class that ends at 9PM that really gets me. And then I have an early class the next morning – hehe, plan your schedules better when you guys start college! :P Anyways, big thanks as always to my readers, reviewers – Rhino, Spottedivy, DoctorLokiLove, Loki'sdreamer – my followers, and those who've favorited recently. Here's the next chapter! :)**

* * *

"_Shit guys, they're over here too!"_

Clint's words repeating continuously in Loki's mind, increasing his worry for the vulnerable woman they had left behind so readily. Of course, Loki trusted the archer to look after Echo as she _was_ a fellow teammate after all. But he hadn't thought that the Other would separate his forces like that, sending one group to the Tower as the other distracted the superheroes.

'_A distraction, that's all this is,'_ Loki cursed, his frown deepening at how quickly they had moved out without pausing to think. And he had been the one that urged them to leave faster. With a weary sigh, Loki just hoped that they could defeat these Russians quickly and get back to the Tower.

Steve was talking to Clint via their comm links, and Loki listened as Clint described the situation at the Tower. "Well, Tony's going to have to replace a few more windows again. Sorry, buddy," he said, although it was apparent through his voice that he was grinning at the misfortune.

Steve spoke over Tony's exasperated sigh, asking quickly, "But are you guys OK? Were you guys close to the windows when they shattered?"

"Well, we were on the couch when they arrived. We have a few scratches each from flying glass, but nothing too bad." Loki seethed at the thought of Echo hurt at the hands of the Other again, but kept his comments to himself as Clint continued, "I heard their copters, looked up to see a few of the men swinging from cords towards the windows, and grabbed Echo."

Clint gave a small laugh. "For someone who had just collapsed in exhaustion, she was awake and alert pretty quickly. It was impressive actually."

"Well, around you I always need to have my guard up, _especially_ if I'm asleep," came Echo's voice, and Loki released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Figures, just when I was finally able to fall asleep, _something_ had to happen."

"Once these men are taken care of, you can go back to your nap."

"Yeah, they won't stand a chance against us."

'_Us?'_ Alarms rang in Loki's head, and he said firmly, "Echo, you are not going to fight in your condition. You practically fainted earlier!"

There was tense silence, then Echo said slowly and calmly, "I know you're worried, but I can't just sit back and hide while Clint fights alone. We're a team, and I may be pregnant, but I'm no damsel in distress."

Loki tried to retort, but she continued easily, "If you're so worried about me, then take care of the others quickly to get back here faster."

They could clearly hear the smile in her voice, and the atmosphere immediately lightened as Loki grumbled, "Fine."

"Well, now that the lover's spat is over, I have something Echo can use." Tony suddenly entered the conversation, apparently listening in from his Iron Man suit outside. "Go down to my lab, and you'll see it right away."

"All right, we'll make our way down there. Keep us posted on your – shit! Echo, move!"

"Clint? Clint, Echo, report!" Steve ordered, but all that answered them was static.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but it seems the men in the Tower are creating some sort of interference with the connections," JARVIS said, having been installed into the Quinjet at Tony's insistence. "I am currently working on retrieving the signals from Mr. Barton's and Ms. Valentina's communication devices again."

"They'll be fine – we have our own problems to deal with," Natasha called from the front. It was then that Loki realized that she had successfully landed without them noticing. He also realized that they were no longer being shot at.

"Tony, how is it out there?" Bruce asked, standing beside the button to open the hatch of the Quinjet. Loki stood with the others, preparing himself for battle.

"A group of them just went down to terrorize some citizens who are still out and about. The rest are circling the building you guys are on, and there are some on the opposite roofs too, so be careful when you come out. I'll cover you – go!"

Bruce pushed the button, the gate eased open, and Loki ran out of the jet beside Steve, the others right behind them. Almost immediately, blasts of energy were shot at them, along with bullets.

The Hulk's roar filled the air the next second, drowning out Iron Man's repulsors and the sounds of guns firing for a moment. Loki expected the men to cower and run at the sight of Bruce's inner beast, but they simply renewed their fight.

Loki dodged blasts, taking account where the men were, and how many. There were about three dozen men in their immediate vicinity, each armed with either a 'RMB-93', apparently, as Tony said. But others had a weapon that looked distinctly different...and familiar.

Squinting, he recognized the other weapons as similar copies of the Chitauri's energy guns. He caught the eye of one man wielding such a weapon, who pointed it at his head immediately. The man never stood a chance.

Loki easily dodged the blast, aiming his spear and shooting in one solid movement. The man spun slightly from the hit on his shoulder, before falling off to the side.

Loki moved quickly, running to the side of the building to check out how many more men were on the ground. Peering over, he had to bring his head back fast, watching as a spiel of huge bullets soared past him. He may have a helmet, but Loki'd rather not test its' ability to repel bullets _while_ he was wearing it.

In the corner of his eye, Loki saw a red and gold blur fly past him, and grinned when he heard, "Are you just going to stand there Rudolph, or actually fight?"

As Loki watched, Iron Man landed in his signature pose, one knee and fist to the ground, before standing and firing right away. There was a flash, then the eight men around Tony fell. "That's how it's done!" Tony crowed, causing Loki to roll his eyes.

"Mere child's play," he scoffed, firing at the men who attempted to climb onto the rooftop he was on.

"Let's see you do better then. Go on."

'_With pleasure.'_ Loki took a few steps back to gather momentum, then took off for the ledge. A carefully placed hand and foot, swatting away the men who tried to stop him, and he was up and over. Flipping in midair neatly, he raised his spear and took out two men as he began to fall.

Seeing some men on the ground aim at him, he focused on the clear space amidst the group, and closed his eyes. There was a whoosh of air, then he felt solid ground under his feet. He opened his eyes, almost casually eliminating the three men who charged him.

With a quick glance around, Loki calculated that there were about a dozen men around him, and gathered his magic. Sending out bits of energy accordingly, the area was filled with his clones in the next second, who quickly took care of the Russians around him.

Retrieving his clones, Loki looked up to see Tony staring at the bodies all around them. His faceplate was up, so Loki could clearly see the incredulity that was written on Tony's face. Catching his eye, Tony cleared his throat and said, "Impressive. But I'm going to have to disqualify you for cheating."

Loki scoffed again. "And _how_ was I cheating then?"

"Your clones! How is that fair?" Tony fairly whined, gesturing wildly.

"I merely utilized my resources – did you not do the same when you had JARVIS aim to take out all eight men at once earlier?"

There was a pause, then Tony grumbled, "That's different."

A long suffering sigh from Steve made its' way to their ears, then Natasha barked, "Civilians are still in danger. Keep your squabbling for later."

Giving Tony a mock salute, Loki teleported to the intersection they had seen earlier. Jumping straight into action, Loki weaved through the group of men, blasting them backwards with precisely placed shots.

Thor made himself known when the air crackled with electricity, some of the men's weapons exploding to burn the men with the hot plasma. Loki could hear the Hulk roaring from down a few blocks, and Iron Man flew overhead, repulsor rays whining before firing at the men below. With Clint away, he had to be their eye in the sky today.

Distracting the men away from the civilians cowering in the buildings, Loki fought back to back with Natasha. It was rather surprising how much _fun_ he was having, especially with Black Widow herself. He would usher whoever he was fighting towards Natasha, who would deal a quick blow to the back of their head. Or Loki would have to duck as Natasha fairly flew over him, kicking a man to the ground.

At first glance, it seemed the men were merely controlled, and only had the weapons to defend themselves. It was when Gungnir was knocked out of his hand – _'Lucky shot.'_ – and Loki had to block a punch, he realized the Other had given them more than just weapons.

The strength the men had now had was close to that of Captain America, and their speed rivaled that of Clint and Natasha. Leaning back quickly, he felt the air from the man's fist brush past his nose. Bringing an arm up to block the following punch, Loki sent his own throw, hitting the man solidly in the cheek.

The resounding crack was rather satisfying, and the man fell with a groan, a hand over the blossoming bruise. Stepping beside him, Loki leant down and placed his thumb on the man's forehead, index finger on the man's left temple. "Let's see if you can tell me anything," Loki whispered, projecting his magic into the man's mind.

Images flashed across his eyes – of a land completely covered in snow, a large grey building the only thing of color within miles. Within, there were rooms upon rooms filled with new and improved versions of the energy weapons, until he finally reached a large door.

Opening it cautiously, Loki paused in confusion as he was met with darkness, but then realized the room was simply barely lit as his eyes adjusted. It was much larger than the others, more like a hall than a mere room. As he walked in, the darkness suddenly became complete, and Loki froze immediately.

Out of the shadows came the voice that he had once feared, the narrator of his nightmares. "Prying around, are we?"

However, now it only caused a fierce rage to grow inside Loki, and he yelled back, "Show yourself, coward! Why send these mortals to do your work otherwise?"

Silence answered him, but before Loki could continue his search within the man's mind, a great force suddenly swept him backwards. Before the Other could get a hold of his mind, Loki cut the connection and snapped back to reality quickly. The man he had been searching for information appeared to be unconscious, but then Loki spotted the blood leaking out of his ears.

Sighing with pity, Loki stood back up and looked around. It seemed the others had been doing well with the Russians, and there was only a small group left over. Loki ran over to his teammates, knocking down a man who had been ready to shoot Steve behind his back. "I've got your back," Loki said with a grin, repeating what Steve had said so many months ago.

Steve grinned back, easily taking care of one of the last men around them. His eyes shifted to look at something behind Loki, and his smile disappeared. Steve stepped towards, saying quickly, "Look out, behind you!"

Loki turned as fast as he could, but only just made it in time to see a man fire off a weapon he hadn't seen before. The dart, or what looked like one, zoomed towards him, and he moved to dodge it. He was a bit too slow, and Loki winced in pain as the needle sliced neatly through his pants, scratching his leg along the way.

Holding Gungnir up, he turned back to take out the man, but was extremely confused to see that he had disappeared. Glancing back at his teammates, he realized the remaining men had vanished as well, leaving only the unconscious behind.

Spotting the needle on the ground, Loki took a few steps toward it. However, before he could reach it, he suddenly doubled over as a wave of dizziness went through him. "Loki, what ails you?" Thor ran to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder to raise him back upright.

At the slight movement though, Loki's stomach clenched painfully, and he managed to take a few steps away from the others before he emptied his stomach of its contents. Once he was done, he stood up slowly, staggering at the slight dizziness that affected him.

His cheeks felt rather hot, and he raised a hand to feel his own forehead, becoming surprised at the intense heat he felt. Catching Thor's worried eyes, he looked back at the needle and noticed that it was glistening slightly, as if it had been drenched in some sort of liquid. Eyes widening as he made the connection, he looked back at Thor. "Alöbé."

* * *

Clint had been able to take Echo out of the living room, and into the elevator, before the Russians had even touched the floor. To his amazement, but relief, Echo was alert and on the defense almost immediately. He just hoped that her stomach didn't decide to turn on her again, because it was one thing comforting her while they were alone. It was another when he was also trying to protect her from goons that other-worldly beings had hired to hunt her down.

After riding the elevator down a few levels, Clint had peeked out and deemed the coast clear...for now. Hiding around a corner, he had placed Echo on her feet, grinning as she fought against Loki's orders.

Glancing down the hall every now and then, he had eased back into the conversation when Tony started speaking. "Go down to my lab, and you'll see it right away."

"All right, we'll make our way down there. Keep us posted on your –" At that point, he heard the elevator ding open, then the unmistakable sound of running footsteps. He saw the glint of a gun, and jumped into action. "Shit! Echo, move!"

Pushing his teammate in front of him, they ran down the hallway, Clint looking back to aim arrows at the men chasing them. Glancing forward at Echo, the thought suddenly occurred to him that she shouldn't be running like this. Biting his lip, he made up his mind, and nocked an explosive-tipped arrow next.

'_Sorry, Tony.'_ There was a resounding boom behind them, and Clint could feel the heat on his back for a moment. Once they had run a decent distance away, he called Echo to stop. She immediately leaned against the wall, eyes closed as she panted, trying to catch her breath.

Walking up to her, Clint cupped her face and tilted it upwards, taking note of her appearance. Brow matted with sweat, cheeks red from the sudden exercise, and her brown eyes gazed up at him tiredly, but were focused on his face as he turned her face to the left, then right. Her chest was heaving, and a thin sheen of sweat coated her arms and legs where he could see them.

Sighing, Clint ruffled Echo's hair, saying, "You're all right. But I don't think you should run like that again." Sliding off his quiver, he placed it on the floor, leaning his bow beside it. Turning so his back was to her, he looked back and said, "Come on, I don't know how long it'll take until another group comes down here."

He bent his knees slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, heard the rustle as Echo stepped forward. The next second he felt warm hands on his shoulders, and braced himself as Echo pulled herself onto his back. Straightening up, he hoisted Echo up higher and moved her legs so they were hooked around his waist.

With surprisingly not much difficulty, he managed to take the two pistols he had tucked in his belt, and handed one to Echo. "Just in case," he said, reaching back to keep a firm grip on her right thigh so she wouldn't slip off as he started jogging.

They made it to another elevator without meeting anyone, and Clint quickly pushed the button for Tony's lab. His muscles tensing slightly as the elevator slowed, he readied himself for whatever might be out there. Echo gripped his shoulder tighter, breath quickening as they prepared themselves.

Keeping against the wall as the door opened, Clint waited a few seconds, then glanced out. The hallway seemed empty, but he still walked out cautiously, gun raised and ready. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Echo's arm pointed the other direction, relieving him that both their sides were covered.

When they had walked around two corners without any trouble, Clint said, "All right, let's go." Quickening his pace, but staying on guard, he turned left, then right, and allowed himself a sigh of relief as he saw the door to Tony's lab.

"Let's see what Tony's created _now_ then, Echo." Her soft laughter washed past his ear, and with another quick glance around, he entered the lab. "Well, that's disappointing."

Clint placed Echo on her feet, and watched as she approached the small pistol on the table. To him, it seemed like just another ordinary gun, maybe with a few modifications, but nothing else. Echo picked it up carefully, turning it over in her hands, taking in every little detail.

Her fingers ran over a few small knobs, and Echo paused, intrigued. Pressing one, the gun began to whir softly, and Echo caught Clint's equally surprised eyes. Raising the gun hesitantly, she aimed it at a board that was apparently there for testing weapons, and fired.

A blast of energy similar to that of Loki rocketed out, nearly scorching a hole in the board, but Clint noticed that Echo had barely felt any recoil. _'Damn.'_ He had to hand it to the inventor – he could be an annoying son of a bitch sometimes, but man, were his inventions impressive.

Along with the energy balls, the other knobs were revealed to be simple bullets, tranquilizing darts, and a laser that could easily cut through metal. They were sure Tony would forgive them for the table.

Using one of Tony's stools, Echo climbed onto Clint's back, wrapping her legs around his waist again. They crept into the hallway again, almost immediately meeting up with another group of men. But, thanks to Echo's new gun, and Clint's equally accurate shooting, they were easily subdued.

So they went, riding the elevator up to one floor after another. At some point, JARVIS came back online, and Clint and Echo were able to hunt down their prey more easily. It was more like a game to them, and Clint found himself laughing with Echo as they started counting how many men they had taken down and forming it into a competition.

"I've got 24 so far – you?"

Clint scoffed, saying, "Only 32. Come on, you can do better than that! What with your fancy weapon and everything."

At that moment, the intercom crackled to life, causing them to jump. "Clint, Echo, can you hear me? Please, report." They recognized it to be Steve's voice, and Clint jogged over to the nearest intercom.

"We're all fine and healthy over here. Has the threat been neutralized downtown?"

"Well, more or less. We were winning, and the remaining men just disappeared. We still don't know how or where they went." There was a slight rustling on the other end, then Steve returned to say, "Get up to the main level, Loki's calling for Echo."

"Loki? What happened, is he all right?" Echo said, worry clear in her voice. If something had happened when she wasn't there...

"He says he'll be fine, but Thor needs to take Loki to Asgard apparently, to get better quicker."

"We'll be right up," Clint said gruffly, feeling how tense Echo was against his back.

Not bothering to wait for an answer, Clint went as fast he could to the nearest elevator, and they rode up in silence. With Echo still on his back, Clint exited the elevator rapidly, walking up to the small group in the living room.

They all looked fine, just a bit battered here and there, but Loki was definitely the most affected. He was leaning slightly on Thor, face pale and streaked with sweat, and breathe hard and heavy as he struggled to stay on his feet.

"Loki!" Echo clambered off Clint's back, ignoring the amused expressions from everyone else. Cupping his face, she asked, "Are you OK? Why do you need to go to Asgard?"

Gesturing to his leg, Loki said slowly, "I was – cut and apparently the needle had been coated with a distilled virus that is extremely terrible in Asgard. As I only got subjected to a bit of it, I will live, but to heal faster I need to visit Asgard. I'm sorry to be leaving you again."

Echo just shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her mind that she could have lost him. "It's all right, just do what you need to get better. I'll be fine here." Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, she whispered, "Hurry back."

"I will, I promise." With that, Echo stepped back and watched as Loki and Thor simply disappeared from in front of her.

There was a small silence, then Tony asked, "So, Echo. How'd you like the gun?"

Meeting Clint's eye, a grin formed on their faces, and Echo turned to Tony. "Yeah, about that."

* * *

– **Echo is 8 weeks pregnant – **

**Hehe, while Clint and Echo were creeping around, 'Spanish Buzz' from Toy Story 3 came on, and I had to pause to laugh. It just fit so perfectly! XD**

**Again, I hope you can forgive me for being late yet again. I told myself, if I was late a third time, you guys could request something, and I would write a special chapter for you. So, due to my tardiness, that's on the table now. Feel free to suggest anything, and I'll come up with something. :)**

**All right, let's see – normally, the next update would be Monday, but that's a 'busy' day. I'll try my best, but don't be surprised if it turns out to be on Tuesday. I really appreciate all the support despite my lateness – you guys are too nice to me. Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	14. Chapter 14

_**All right**_**, it is currently Monday morning and since I have a bit of time, I'm taking it. Hopefully I'm able to get this out to you tonight like I want to! :D To all my readers, followers, those who've favorited, and my reviewers – Loki'sdreamer, Spottedivy, DoctorLokiLove, Rhino, castielslittlebitch – THANKS! Here's the next chapter, (hopefully on time, hehe).**

* * *

Loki grit his teeth as another wave of heat went through his body, making it seem he was boiling from the inside out. He could feel the sweat trickling down the sides of his face, coating the rest of his body and making his clothes and the sheets from his bed stick to his skin.

He was wearing a pair of soft, thin pants, and a simple t-shirt, made of a cloth that should help his skin breath. Loki didn't think it was working, since he was sweltering hot at the moment. Even when he tried to lower his temperature himself, the fever only seemed to intensify.

A low ache had settled in his bones, and whether he moved or not, the pain was there as if to mock him for his weakness. _'It is a mere flu, that's all.'_ If only it was a simple cold. But Loki knew how close he had come to death, and judging from the look in Echo's eyes when he had told her, she understood as well.

Now he had to weather out the symptoms, and hope his body was able to rid itself of the poison quickly. Hearing something clatter beside his head, Loki blearily opened his eyes. The light was dim enough that he did not squint, and he slowly turned his head in the direction where the noise had come from.

What he saw nearly stopped his heart.

It was a hideous creature, with grey skin and bits of flesh hanging off its body here and there. The little clumps of hair that it had on its' molting head was blonde, and from the torn up, ratty dress it was wearing, Loki assumed it was a female. Or at least, used to be.

At his movement, she had turned toward him, and her lips turned up into what should have been a smile, but looked more like a grimace. Her blue eyes peered down at him, emotionless and dull, and when she opened her mouth to speak, her gums were nearly black with rot, barely a tooth left in her mouth.

She reached her hand out, nails completely outgrown and dirty with grime, and Loki immediately sat up. Pressing up against the headboard of his bed, he pushed himself to the other side of the bed. Petrified with fear, Loki watched frantically as the creature paused.

"Wotswrawngawki." Her hoarse voice grated against his ears, and he lifted his hands to block out the sound. The creature attempted to reach for him again, but Loki flinched away, nearly falling off the other side of the bed.

She made a distressed noise, but thankfully took a few steps away from Loki's bed. He breathed a sigh of relief, only to jump in shock when she suddenly screeched, "Tawr!"

The doors to his room opened, and Loki could only look on in terror as a creature even taller than he ran through them. It was most definitely male, with huge muscled arms and broad shoulders, and long strands of blonde hair barely hanging onto his head. Piercing blue eyes stared at his huddled form on the bed, before walking forward hesitantly.

"Awki." He raised his hands as if in surrender, but fear still held Loki tight in its grip. The female was beside the bed, looking at the both of them with – worry? But why would she be worried, she had just been ready to attack him earlier. _'Perhaps she's afraid the big one will eat me before she can get a piece,'_ Loki thought with an unrepressed shudder.

Loki's attention snapped back to the large male when his mattress tilted down somewhat. He grimaced in disgust when he saw the creature had sat down, a few bits of flesh falling from the creatures' arm onto his sheets. _'I will have to burn them now.'_

The male took another long look at him, then turned to the other and began speaking quietly in their strange language. Loki sat in the corner of his bed, completely frozen so as not to gain any unwanted attention.

His body was punishing him now for jumping up like that before, and Loki could barely keep his groans of pain inaudible. He _apparently_ had a headache now due to his actions, for his head throbbed rhythmically with his heartbeat.

Loki shifted slightly closer to the edge of the bed, only to stiffen when a spike of pain erupted in his abdomen. A load groan escaped his lips unwillingly, immediately attracting the attention from the other two in his room.

The big one reached out for him again, and Loki jumped out of bed instantly, yelling, "Stay back!" His vision grayed out at the sides, and when he tried to focus again, there were suddenly eight of those rotten creatures in the room with him. Giving a low moan of terror, he backed up rapidly until he felt the wall behind him.

Blinking a few times, Loki managed to regain his sight and realized he had seen double. That still left four too many of those beasts in his room. The two new ones approached with less caution, and he panicked, running around them to the door.

Just before he reached the door, Loki was hit by dizziness yet again, and stumbled slightly. Red hot pain lanced up his legs, his adrenaline ebbing quickly, and Loki could hear his own breathing, fast and heavy. _'I sound like a man _thrice_ my age!'_

Two hands suddenly gripped his shoulders from behind, and Loki struggled weakly when he realized that it was the large male again. "Get – off me!" He punched the creature in the side – swatted really, with his depleted strength – but to no avail.

The other two males stepped right in front of him. One placed his hands on his forehead and cheek, while the other touched his neck and wrist. Their hands on his skin were like fire, burning him even more, and he let out a strangled yell.

The big one shouted something at the other two touching him, and Loki released a rather pitiful whimper when the loud noise worsened his headache. _'Please, just let it end.'_ A blinding light erupted from under the two creatures' hands then, the pain and heat dissipated, and darkness finally overtook him.

* * *

A cool breeze whispered across his skin, and Loki gave a sigh of relief. Stirring slightly, he realized his shirt had been removed, after feeling the soft sheets underneath his back. He thanked the Norns as well that every movement didn't entice a shock of pain anymore. His body was still weak, a tiny bit of pain remaining in his leg, but his fever had broken and overall he was feeling much better.

Gentle hands suddenly brushed the sweat-soaked hair from his face, and he leaned into the touch. They withdrew, but before he could complain, Loki heard the trickle of water and then a cool damp cloth was wiped across his forehead and cheeks.

When it went down to the sides of his neck, he murmured softly, "Mmm, that feels good Echo." There was a deep chuckle from the right side of his bed, and then someone tweaked his nose gently.

"I'm afraid I'm the _other_ important woman in your life, dear." Loki startled at the unexpected voice, and he turned tired eyes onto the familiar face of his mother. She was sitting on the side of his bed, dipping a cloth into a bowl on his bedside table before returning it to his forehead for another brief wipe.

His cheeks warmed with a blush at his slip, but Frigga just smiled warmly down at him. Feeling rather vulnerable, Loki raised himself to his elbows, pushing the pillow behind him so he could sit up. A large hand landed on his bare shoulder, and he looked to the right in surprise, relaxing as he saw Thor.

Thor seemed worried, however, but before Loki could question him, Frigga asked, "Are you feeling better, Loki? The worst had passed, I believe, but you may be the better judge of that."

"I am no longer in pain, other than a small area around the cut." Bending his knee up to examine it, Loki gave a satisfied nod at seeing how well it was healing. Settling back against the pillows comfortably, he stretched before wincing at the slight discomfort he felt. "I must have moved a lot in my sleep, if I am this sore now," Loki joked, pausing when he caught the looks on Thor and Frigga's faces. "What?"

"You do not remember what happened?" His mother asked hesitantly.

"No...did I have a fit? Wha–" Thor had moved to sit on Loki's bed, and suddenly Loki remembered. The strange creatures, all rotten and decaying; one female, slight and frail, and a male, huge and overpowering. Looking at them both, mouth agape, he finaly managed, "I'm sorry, I don't know – what overcame me."

"The medical Elves informed us that you had hallucinations due to the fever that gripped you. I truly feared for you, brother – you looked more terrified than I have ever seen you." Thor looked at him seriously. "It is not a sight I would ever want to see again."

"I assure you, Thor, I do not plan on contracting this virus ever again," Loki said wearily, rubbing his eyes.

Looking around, he noticed it was lighter than what he could remember. "How long was I asleep?"

Frigga sighed, before answering, "You would open your eyes at times, from the pain and heat, but you were never truly awake. Then you frightened us all by running out of bed instead of _staying put_ as you should have been, before the Elves were able to subdue you. You have been _asleep_, put lightly, for a day already. You arrived yesterday in the afternoon."

'_It's already been two days on Midgard,' _Loki mused, his thoughts immediately going to Echo and how she was faring. "And Thor, have you gone back yet?"

Thor looked confused, and shook his head. Sighing, Loki said, "I would appreciate it if you would check on Echo, and notify her of my improved condition."

"Yes, and while you do that, Thor, be a dear and bring me that picture you were telling me about. Where you could see the child in the womb?"

A shock went through Loki's body as he realized he hadn't told his parents that he was having _twins_ yet. Making eye contact with his brother, Loki took a deep breath, then said as calmly as he could, "Oh, Mother. I have a bit of news actually."

It was amazing how quickly Frigga turned back to Loki, completely missing when Thor had waved at her as he made his way to the door. Thor _knew _how their mother would react, and didn't particularly want to be in the same room when it happened. A quick journey to another realm should be enough time for her to cool down.

Thor's smile grew as from behind him, he heard Loki say, "Ah, yes – how can I put this so you don't...oh, Hel, we're having twins!" Thor sprinted the remaining length to the palace doors, a resounding gleeful shout echoing in the halls around him.

* * *

"Loki, I do not want to hear another argument leave your mouth! I was not going to have a grandchild out of wedlock, and now I am most _certainly_ not going to have _two_ grandchildren out of wedlock."

"But, Mother," Loki fairly whined, unashamed and uncaring of the chuckling God of Thunder sitting beside his bed, watching the entire affair. "I do not wish to pressure Echo into something she may not want. And I _know_ that if I tell her it's your wishes, she will agree whether she wants to or not, as is her selfless nature."

"You're being absurd, Loki. She is having your children, why would she not want to marry you?"

"One does not have to be married in order to have a child with another," Loki began lowly, only to be cut off once again.

"Do not speak to me of those people. That is their decision, and I respect that. _However_, you are my son and you will be married before those two are born!"

Loki threw his hands up in frustration, before letting them fall back to the bed, shaking his head as he struggled to think of another argument. This was not going as planned, but Loki should have known that Frigga would come up with this subject.

It had simply caught him off-guard, due to the sudden rise of the topic. Thor had returned, bringing the picture as requested, and the look of adoration on Frigga's face had caused the widest grin to form on Loki's face.

The next instant it had been wiped off as Frigga suddenly looked up from the photograph, and asked nonchalantly, "And when will the wedding be?"

Thus, their argument had begun, and Loki was losing pitifully. He knew Frigga's words were logical, but there was still that worry that Echo may react badly to the idea. And the last thing he wanted was to cause a rift to form between them, especially when they were just getting back on their feet.

Turning to his brother for help, Thor simply smiled at him, cheeks full with the food he had brought to snack on. _'Like Clint bringing popcorn to watch Tony and Steve fight yet again over something insignificant.'_ Raising the large chicken leg he held in his hand, Thor said, "Ay, Loki, see sense. If your lady did not love you, she would not have reacted so joyfully to the thought of having your children!"

Ignoring Loki's annoyed sigh, Thor continued, placing a hand on his chin as he feigned deep thought. "If I recall correctly, after learning of the twins, she dragged you around the Tower and nearly proclaimed it from the rooftops if you had allowed her. She was completely giddy with happiness."

"Yes, _thank you_, Thor. Now, if you would please, _leave._" Loki of course meant this as a joke, but the puppy eyes that Thor shot at him proved that his brother hadn't understood the sarcasm _yet again_. Rubbing his forehead for the umpteenth time, he grumbled, "It was a _jest_, you fool!"

Immediately the sickening grin appeared on Thor's face, and Loki had to look away. Regretfully, that meant facing his mother again, who was looking at him with the most intense gaze she had ever used on him. This included the time he had lied about coating the insides of _each _and _every_ warrior's helmet with warm sap, a genius prank pulled by a child God of Mischief. Those warriors had then needed to cut their long hair in order to remove the armor, and it was a sad few months in the palace as they mourned their flowing locks.

A grin tried to worm its way onto his face, but Loki caught himself just in time. It would be more beneficial to his health if he remained serious throughout this discussion. Sighing heavily, he looked back at his mother. "_Must_ I marry Echo now? It truly could not wait?"

"I do not know why you two have not completed this step yet. The two of you have fought, loved, been through Hel for the other, are evidently in love, and now are having children. What other reason must there be before you finally join together in matrimony?"

But Loki just shook his head, looking at his clasped hands in his lap. "No, Mother, you are right. I am simply...nervous, that is all."

Smiling warmly at him – though Loki knew she was simpering with delight internally at having won – Frigga reached out to rub his hand gently. "That is why I shall help you. Now, how shall you ask her?"

"Mother, I have an i–"

"That's all right, Thor dear, you can help when it's your turn." Loki could barely hide the grin at Thor's reaction at having to do the same with Jane.

Turning back to his mother, a smile made its way unwittingly across his lips as he listened to Frigga chatter happily away, finally able to share her ideas. _'Oh, Echo, what am I getting into here?'_

* * *

***WAR CRY* AW, YEAH, I finally updated on time! :D I know it's late in the evening, but it's the same day that I had promised, and that's what counts. Okey-dokey, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and we'll be seeing what was going on in the Tower throughout in the next update! If my luck holds, I'll be posting another chapter on Friday! Take care everyone!**

**(Oh, and none of you requested anything. I mean, it's not necessary, but I just felt bad for being so late continuously, so suggest something if you want me to write the 'special' chapter. If not, ok then, your choice.) :)**

**-Ana :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys, sorry about not updating on Friday like promised. Friday, we had some family friends over, Saturday was my birthday, and then Sunday was just my bad luck day in completing things. :P Big thanks to my readers, reviewers – DoctorLokiLove, Spottedivy, castielslittlebitch, Rhino, Loki'sdreamer – and those who've followed and favorited! Here's the next chapter! :)**

* * *

Frigga walked through the hallways, purpose and determination in her step. Reaching the immense golden doors that led to the throne room, she gestured to the guards to open them for her.

"But Your Highness, court is in session. The doors are not to be o–" The young guard's voice trickled down as the Queen turned her head towards him slowly. The expression on her face was calm, but the look in her eyes promised retribution if he did not cooperate.

Swallowing, he snapped his fingers to get the other guard's attention, then opened the doors. Bowing as Frigga passed him, he breathed a sigh of relief when she said "Thank you, kind Sirs."

As Frigga entered, the doors clanging shut behind her, the silence that fell barely affected her. Walking up the center of the room, smiling at the Asgardians that were now staring at her, she didn't stop until she was in front of Odin's throne.

"Frigga, what is the meaning of this?" He leant forward, his eyes glancing over Frigga's expression to try and guess why she had come. Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Odin asked, "Has something happened?"

"There is no emergency, Odin," Frigga said calmly, soothing his worries. "But I would have words with you concerning your youngest son."

Odin's face turned up in faint annoyance, causing a spike of anger to go through Frigga. "My dear Queen, I am in court. I cannot leave at the mo–"

"Very well, we will speak here then," Frigga cut him off, coolly gazing back at his affronted stare.

Standing straighter against the whispers of their people behind her, she said clearly, "Loki has just informed me that he and his Echo will be having twins." There was another round of muttering, this time disapproving. She whipped her head around, glaring at the crowd. She knew all too well that some still thought badly about her Loki. But, a long stare at the room quickly silenced them.

Looking back at Odin, she was heartened to see the slight crinkling of his eye that meant he was happy, but too stubborn to show it. Gathering breath, Frigga said, "I was speaking with him, and the subject of marriage came up. I am saddened to say that Loki was adamantly against that idea."

"But, the true reason he is hesitant, he admitted later, was due to the doubt he has about Idunn's apples." Frigga said firmly, "Now, I know you told Loki that you would personally open the gates for him, that you had faith in him." At that Odin looked up, for he had been alone with Loki at the time.

Frigga just waved his question away before he could even open his mouth. "The guards have more reason to fear me than they do you. I get the information I want."

Ignoring Odin's sigh and the audiences' soft laughter, Frigga continued, "Now, it seems he has doubts yet again. You had better convince him that he will receive the apples – or better yet, grant him that boon _now_ – for my grandchildren will not be born out of wedlock."

Smiling at the light applause and murmurs of agreement that followed her statement, Frigga knew victory was hers at the exasperated, though slightly amused, expression on Odin's face.

Odin stood up then, and a hush fell over the crowd. "I will speak to Loki on the matter." Frigga's smile only grew, and Odin had to smile back at his glowing wife. "Now," he said, gesturing to the people around him. "May I finish my business here first?"

"Of course." And with that, Frigga took her leave, smugness radiating off her as she exited the grand throne room once again.

* * *

Echo lay in bed on her side, looking blankly at the empty space beside her. She knew that Loki would be fine and back in a few days, but being apart from him was always hard. Especially during the nights.

She was so used to having someone with her now, watching her even as she slept, that being alone again was strange. And frightening. Whether he was curled up behind her, had an arm draped over her stomach, or a hand gripping hers in his sleep, Loki was a protective presence that Echo just could not sleep without now.

"I'm not as brave as you think I am, Loki. If something were to happen to you...I don't know what I would do." Her eyes began irritating her, and she rubbed them angrily, tired of crying so much. Echo _wanted_ to be strong, and she knew that her teammates were right there beside her when Loki wasn't.

Resting a hand on the curve of her stomach, she rubbed it absently, saying softly, "I hope you two get your father's bravery. Despite my tough exterior, I'm such a wimp on the inside. Look at me, only two days away from him, and I could barely gather the strength to walk around yesterday."

"This has to change, don't you agree?" Though she knew it was extremely early to be able to feel any movement, it brought a smile to her face just imagining how that moment would play out. "Loki had _better_ be here when you do finally move, otherwise he'll be in a heap of trouble."

'_And there's the tough girl Loki had fallen in love with.'_ Echo shook her head, smile widening as she pictured how Loki would be looking at her right now, seeing her all depressed in bed. He wouldn't allow her to mope around in their room all day, like she wanted to. Finding newfound resolve, Echo decided to change her attitude for the next day.

Settling back against her pillows, Echo closed her eyes...only to open them again when sleep evaded her yet again. Glancing back over at Loki's side of the bed, she huffed in resignation. _'Oh, damn it all, I'll be strong tomorrow. Right now, I need to sleep.'_

Maneuvering herself across the sheets, Echo pressed her face into Loki's pillow, sighing deeply as his natural scent washed over her. Of a forest, the wood and dirt damp with rain, but releasing a smell so divine to her.

Within minutes, lying on her side with her blankets tucked closely around her and Loki's smell filling her nose, Echo was asleep.

* * *

"Echo? Breakfast's ready if you want to join us."

Natasha stood outside the bedroom door, listening carefully to hear any signs of movement from inside. It was almost nine-thirty in the morning, but even if they were allowed to sleep in every now and then, she just wanted to check on her pregnant teammate.

The past two days had been hard, with Echo being sick almost nonstop, slumping miserably on the couch when she wasn't draped over the toilet. They had tried to keep her spirits up, and sort of succeeded at some points.

But when she had gone to bed earlier than the rest of them, Echo had still seemed down. _'That Loki had better get back here soon, or I'm going to go up there and drag him back myself.'_

If only it was that easy, Natasha would have done it. But she knew that mortals were not allowed on Asgard without explicit permission from the Allfather, on pain of death to the mortal and the God who had brought them there. Tony had brought up the subject once, wanting to know more about Asgard, and Thor had explained to them that though he would love to show his home to them, he could not.

Blinking, Natasha realized she had been standing there for at least a few minutes. Raising her hand to knock again, she froze as the doorknob started turning. Stepping back as it opened, the questions Natasha had been about to ask caught in her throat, a grin rapidly forming on her face.

Echo stood in front of her, a sheepish grin on her face as she looked at her toes as if they were the most interesting thing she had ever seen. A blush colored her cheeks, probably knowing that Natasha was holding back a laugh at her appearance.

Hanging loosely on her top was one of Loki's dark green dress shirts, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows because otherwise they'd completely engulf her hands. The shoulders being much bigger than Echo's, Natasha could see the black tank top Echo wore underneath peeking out. Her feet were bare, and from under the long shirt Natasha could see what she assumed were Loki's black boxers.

'_Ooh, I don't think he'll like the idea of Echo flaunting around in his underwear,_' Natasha thought with a smirk. But, she wasn't about to tell Echo to change, especially since she could guess why Echo had decided to wear the God's clothes.

"Feeling a bit vulnerable?" She asked, voice light and clearly trying not to laugh still.

Echo laughed softly back, looking at Natasha and shrugging. "I guess. But I'm feeling better than yesterday and the day before, so that's a start."

"Well, I hope you're prepared for all the remarks the others will make." Pausing, Natasha amended with a laugh, "_Others_ meaning Tony, Clint, and Bucky, of course."

Turning back to the kitchen, she gestured to Echo to follow her. "Come on, Steve and Bruce have just finished making breakfast. Well, it's more like a banquet – they made pancakes, eggs, bacon, and Steve decided to throw in French toast at the end."

Turning to Echo when she caught up, Natasha added, "I think this is their attempt to make you feel better, since you were so sick yesterday, and Loki left the other day."

Echo smiled at that, already smelling the amazing aromas coming from the kitchen, and thanking the gods that nothing made her stomach react badly. She quickened her pace slightly as she reached the kitchen, declaring loudly, "It smells _terrific_ in here!"

Her smile only grew when cheers greeted that statement, and she made her way to the table, sitting beside Tony as Natasha took the seat on her other side. Steve was placing the final pancake onto the top of an impressive stack, and Bruce carefully carried a jug of orange juice, and a pot of tea to the table.

"Hey, little Miss Loki. What, we couldn't go more than two days without the Trickster, now you're dressing up as him?" Tony took in her outfit with an amused expression, losing it when he realized what she was wearing for pants. "Oh, JARVIS, you have to take a picture of this. And you," he said, pointing to Echo as he regained his breath. "You'd better be wearing his clothes when he comes back. We need documentation of his reaction."

"Oh, and I want to show you something later. I feel like you've been deprived musical, and thus I've made The Perfect Playlist for you. By the time Loki comes back, you will know all the lyrics, and _of course_, I'll teach you some of my own dance moves," Tony said with a wink.

"Whatever you say, Tony," Echo laughed, rolling her eyes with Bruce as he came back to the table, a plate of still sizzling bacon in his hands.

"Breakfast is ready!" Steve called out of the kitchen, and there were suddenly a pair of running footsteps approaching them. Just as he sat down next to Natasha, Bucky and Clint came sliding through the door, pushing each other to try to get to the table first.

Taking a bite of the pancake she had just drenched with syrup, Echo nearly closed her eyes at how delicious it was to her now-sensitive stomach. Cutting another piece, she gave a thumbs up to Steve, who was watching her carefully in case something ruined her appetite.

The grin he shot her was heartwarming and just looking around at her teammates eating and chatting happily away, Echo knew today would be a much better day.

* * *

"That's..." Bucky turned away to gag into his hand, much more dramatically than what was called for of course. Facing the smirking Echo again, he finished, "_disgusting_."

"_You're_ disgusting," she answered easily, biting off another piece of the carrot she had just dipped into cream cheese. It was amazing what types of things pregnant women craved, though Echo had had her doubts of those supposedly tall tales.

But now she was happily munching away on carrots with cream cheese, and earlier she had been eating some salty crackers smothered in peanut butter. Steve had looked a little green around the gills, and Tony had retreated to his lab in horror of her snacks.

Bruce had told her to simply go with the cravings, as long as it wasn't hazardous to her health. Apparently some women developed a taste for dirt, but Echo was pretty sure that she wouldn't be one of them. Just the idea made her stomach turn, and she quickly directed her thoughts to other things.

Like the somewhat repulsed, somewhat curious soldier in front of her. Echo and Bucky were sitting on stools around the island in the kitchen across from each other, and she had to hold back a laugh at how his eyes followed the carrot stick in her hand into the dip and then to her mouth.

Catching his eyes, Bucky's lips quirking up into a grin, Echo offered a piece to him, innocence personified. That façade was shattered when a maniacal giggle left her mouth at Bucky's immediate revolted expression.

"Try not to disturb my boyfriend _too_ much, please." Steve walked around them to the cabinets beside the fridge, where he kept the peppermints he loved to suck on after meals. Echo immediately noticed that he was pointedly keeping his eyes away from her snack.

Echo crunched a carrot between her teeth purposefully louder, before relenting at Steve's entreating gaze. "All right, since you said _please_," she teased, picking up her bowl of carrots and walking around to the fridge.

Echo was just passing Steve when she caught a whiff of the peppermint that Steve had just taken out of its' wrapper. She froze, turning her head and inhaling deeply, unable to keep her eyes from closing at how _divine_ the mints smelled. Opening her eyes to meet Steve's amused gaze, she breathed, "Steve, your mints smell _heavenly. _You're going to have to stock up on those for the next 9 months."

Steve laughed. "No problem there. Did you want one?"

"No, that's all right. Maybe after my snack," she grinned, turning back to the fridge with her bowl of carrots.

Taking out the container of cream cheese, she scooped another hearty dollop onto the carrots, smirking at the exasperated sigh Steve gave. Closing the fridge with her hip, Echo scooted around Steve where he was leaning against the counter, persistently going as close as she could while walking past.

The next second she was giggling again, scampering out of the kitchen after Steve had poked her lightly in the side. Looking over her shoulder, Echo saw him chuckling as he watched her leave, moving over to sit beside Bucky.

Looking forward again, she almost bumped into the archer who had suddenly appeared in front of her. They stood for a few seconds, Echo looking up and Clint looking down, staring at each other in silence. Not even the slightest twitch of their lips revealed a sign of a laugh they were probably trying to keep in.

Maintaining her poker face, Echo slowly lifted the bowl of cheesed up carrots, silently asking. An arch of his eyebrow, then his hand rose to take a piece and drag it through the cream cheese, and up further to his mouth.

The corners of Echo's mouth lifted up into a smile as she watched the vegetable disappear, a loud crack sounding as Clint bit down. He chewed, the blank expression never changing, and when he finally swallowed, Echo thought, _'Impressive.'_

Finally, a smirk appeared on his face, and he shrugged at her. "I grew up in the circus – that's _definitely_ not the worst thing I've ever had to eat."

"Well, I'd rather keep the little I've been able to eat inside my stomach, so don't give me the details," Echo said with a little shudder, maneuvering around Clint to head for the elevator.

She turned back when Clint asked, "And where are you going now?"

The wickedest grin Clint had ever seen crossed Echo's lips, before she responded nonchalantly, "Well, it doesn't seem fair that I've been torturing the others, and Tony's able to hide in his lab. So, I'm going down to pay him a visit."

'_Holy shit, first she's dressing up as Loki, now she's turning evil like him!'_ Just then the elevator dinged, and he looked up to see none other than Tony come striding out. _'God help the poor soul.'_

"Speak of the devil, and he appears," Clint called out, plopping down onto the couch to watch the fun. Tony seemed oblivious of the danger he was in, not noticing Echo as he stretched his grease-covered hands to the ceiling. His tank top and pants were stained as well, and Clint could swear he saw streaks of motor oil in Tony's hair as well.

"You guys talking about what a _handsome_ devil I am?" Tony laughed, before freezing completely when he saw Echo standing just a few feet away from him. Clint had to hold in a laugh at the utter terror that was on his face, as his eyes whipped back and forth between the bowl in Echo's hands and the mischievous grin on her face.

Clint laughed when she took a few threatening steps forward, looking like an animal hunting its' prey. Tony darted towards the kitchen, yelling, "Steve, save me!"

Echo followed close behind him, but then stopped just as Tony turned into the kitchen, a somewhat sickened expression forming on her face. Clint stood up, concerned, and in case he needed to act quickly.

Turning towards him, Echo asked, "Do you smell that? What is it?" Clint stepped up beside Echo, and sniffed the air experimentally. There was nothing bad he could detect, but then again, pregnant women were supposed to have super sensitive noses.

Just then Tony peeked around the corner, looking at Echo suspiciously. When he realized she wasn't about to attack, he took a few tentative steps forward.

The moment Tony approached them, Clint saw the change in Echo. Her nose wrinkled up, and she stared at Tony with wide, confused eyes. Pointing at him, she said, "It's you! I don't know _why_ –" Then her eyes caught onto of his blackened fingers, and everything clicked in Clint's mind.

"Dude, you're making Echo nauseous with the oil! Go clean up!"

Tony looked down at his hands, then made eye contact with Clint. The spy groaned inwardly at the naughty gleam in Tony's eyes, but before he could say anything Tony was moving towards Echo, hands outstretched.

Echo immediately acted, backtracking a few steps before fleeing to the living room, keeping the couch between them. "Tony, please," she tried, before placing her bowl down and using a hand to cover her mouth as she gagged reflexively.

Coughing softly, Echo glared at her tormentor, threatening, "I'm going to tell Loki if you make me be sick."

Tony just grinned, going around the couch as he said, "But he's not hear right _now_." Echo walked as quickly as she could to the other side, hiding behind Clint when Tony continued to follow her. "So I won't stop."

Clint could feel Echo tighten her grip on his arms, allowing her to move him when Tony made steps to either the left or right. "Steve! Tony's making me queasy!" The way Tony's face blanched at Echo's cry broke Clint's resolve, and he just burst out laughing.

Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, Echo looked to the side and saw Steve standing just inside the kitchen entryway. He caught her eyes, took note of how she was cowering behind Clint, a hand over her nose and mouth, and moved immediately.

Dipping a hand into his pocket, Steve took out another peppermint and tossed it to Clint. He caught it easily, slipped the mint out and handed the wrapper to Echo. He smirked at the blissful expression that crossed over her face as she pressed it to her nose, but was glad that echo wasn't on the verge of being sick anymore.

He did _not_ want to be on clean-up duty.

To Echo's complete amusement, Steve strode over to Tony, ducking down and wrapping an arm around Tony's waist, before lifting him over his shoulder in one solid movement. "Let me down, you big brute, what are you doing?" Tony squawked, flailing his arms and legs around, and thumping Steve on the back. The super soldier just walked steadily to the bedrooms, undeterred in the least.

Echo gripped her sides, laughing so hard her face ached, and Clint had fallen to the ground from the hilarity of it all. "You're doing this on purpose Echo, I swear! I will get my revenge!" Echo just smiled and waved, keeping the peppermint wrapper up to her nose.

"What has happened to our friend Tony?" Thor's voice suddenly boomed through their laughter, startling them all. "Has he been possessed?"

Echo turned to Thor, who had _apparently_ just walked in to see Tony being hauled away, yelling and kicking. Bucky explained what had happened, as well as he could between laughs, and Thor's frown quickly turned to a wide smile.

He turned joyful blue eyes onto Echo, who was now standing beside Clint rather than behind. "It is good to see you well and smiling again, Echo! And I bring more good tidings – Loki is recovering quickly, and our Healers have stated that he will be ready for travel with another day of rest."

His smile somehow widened even more, and Thor declared, "Though I left the room, I am sure the entire palace heard the joyous exclamation that my mother gave on being notified that you are having twins." Turning to Echo, he placed gentle hands on her shoulders. "She is extremely happy for you two, and is very eager for the birth of her grandchildren."

Echo looked up at Thor with slightly moist eyes as he continued, "Though she only knows you through stories, she loves you as if you were family. Of course, for it is Loki telling the tales, and thus she sees you through his eyes."

Echo's eyes flickered over to Bucky, who was standing a little ways behind Thor, when he whispered, "Damn, that's deep," smiling slightly when Steve elbowed him in the ribs.

Turning her eyes back to Thor, she swallowed thickly before saying, "Thank you Thor, you don't know how much that means to me."

It seemed like Thor wanted to give her a hug, but was hesitant due to her stomach. Echo just smiled, wrapping her arms around him, and laughing softly when he tentatively did the same, before tightening his grip slightly.

Thor drew back after a moment, smiling down at Echo as he stepped away. His eyes fell onto her small bump, then a look of puzzlement went across his face as he fully took in her appearance.

Meeting Echo's equally confused face at the sudden change, he asked uncertainly, "Do you require larger clothes to accommodate your growing stomach? I am sure my mother would provide clothes for you, so that you do not have to wear my brothers."

Echo's grin had been growing since Thor began his question, and a quick look around the room showed that everyone was the same.

Tony, who had just walked in all squeaky clean and looking very disgruntled, brightened exponentially at Thor's statement. Laughing, he said, "Nah, she's fine. It's a...tradition, of sorts, that girls wear their boyfriends' clothes at some point."

Thor still looked slightly perplexed, so Echo put in, "And I miss Loki, so this is helping me until he comes back."

At that Thor beamed, saying happily, "I shall tell Loki that you are in good health, and have found comfort from his absence in wearing his clothing."

"No!" Tony yelled at the same time as Echo and Clint. Thor looked quite taken aback, but Steve rescued them before Thor's puppy eyes could make an appearance.

"They want it to be a surprise when Loki gets back. Can you keep it a secret?"

"You have my word, Echo! I shall not let you down!" With that, Thor left – taking a few Pop Tarts for the road – and everyone went back to their normal duties.

Well, almost everyone.

"So, Tony, I never got to ask you. You ready to show me The Perfect Playlist?"

* * *

**Phew, I've finally gotten it out. I truly am sorry for this being so late, but I don't know why this one was so difficult. And I **_**don't**_** know why this story has just been so bad with late updates! *sigh* Well, hopefully I'll be able to get over it soon. I will be trying my best to update on Thursday, but I don't want to promise anything until I have some on-time updates under my belt again.**

**So, just let me know what you liked, what I should change, etc, and I'll be back in a few days! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**All **_**right**_**, I'm on time today! Finally, right? ;) Your support has blown me away, since I glanced at the traffic graph and more of you have been reading than I thought! So, thanks so much to all of you, my wonderful readers, my reviewers – Loki'sdreamer, Spottedivy, AstridMoon, Rhino – my followers, and those who've favorited as well! And thanks to those who wished me a belated birthday wish! :)**

* * *

"And you had better ask Echo to become your wife, for Thor will tell me otherwise, won't you dear?" Loki glanced over at his brother quickly, beseeching him not to agree.

Sadly, it was futile. Thor looked first at Loki, then Frigga, saw the flash in her eyes, and shot Loki an apologetic look. "Yes, Mother," Thor fairly pouted, saddened at having to take sides between his mother and brother.

Loki and Odin shared a glance, both trying to remain serious in this situation. The air between them was no longer as tense as before, due to the conversation they had had.

From what Loki understood, Frigga had interrupted a full court in session, to talk to Odin about his marriage with Echo. He had to remember to tell Echo about that afterwards – he was sure she'd get a laugh out of his mother's actions.

When Loki had become more lucid, Odin had visited his quarters and brought up the subject of Idunn's apples...and how it correlated to his mother's request.

"_I realize you have little reason to believe me anymore, but understand that despite my decision, I _do_ wish to see you and your Echo joined. So that neither of you have to live apart ever again." Odin sat beside Loki's bed, looking at him with a steady gaze, but the stress was revealed in the wrinkles in his forehead. Evidently he still felt uncomfortable with this subject._

_Loki forced himself to keep eye contact with his father, watching the emotions crossing his face carefully. He was still confined to bed for the day, but the pain had disappeared and his mind was functioning as normally. The clearest was regret, for all the mistakes he had made with his youngest son, and Loki was surprised to see how strong it shone out of his face._

_Tilting his head to the side, he was able to discern that, to his astonishment, Odin had meant what he said. It was the subtle change in his eye, how instead of the harsh stare, he projected a softer gaze and overall seemed peaceful._

_Sighing, Loki said, "I do understand Father even if I had hoped to be granted the apples with reprieve. But, the spell has been cast, and the end of the year could not arrive sooner."_

"_I also await that moment, but with your Mother's wishes and you're having two children, I reckon we will have enough to worry about before then."_

_Running a hand through his hair, Loki added wearily, "The Other is still out there as well, with new tricks evidently. I only hope we are able to find and finish him soon."_

"_He has been able to cloak himself from Heimdall, but he and I will continue to search as well. I am deeply sorry that I was unable to foresee his attack on you and your teammates," Odin rumbled, anger clear in his voice at the Other for his actions._

"_It is not your burden. It came as a surprise to us all, but it was not more than we could handle, with the severest injury being mine."_

"_Rest assured, Loki, that I will be doing all I can to keep your lover and unborn children safe. Do not hesitate to call on me for assistance."_

_Loki made eye contact with Odin again, seeing the determination in his good eye, the similar drive to destroy the Other once and for all. "Thank you, Father."_

Loki came back to reality when Frigga turned to him, having finished haranguing the now subdued Thor. Before he could taunt his brother, however, Loki found himself with an armful of Frigga.

"I am so proud of you, Loki. Never forget that, and do not doubt that your father loves you just as much, even if he does not show it as freely as I do," Frigga whispered, and Loki felt a sense of belonging wash over him, that he had only ever felt while in his Mother's arms.

Closing his eyes, he rested his cheek against the top of Frigga's head, allowing himself that moment to just hold her close again. "I know, Mother. I will keep that in mind."

After another few seconds, Frigga pulled away, wiping as of yet unshed tears from her eyes. Loki sniffed himself, and opened his mouth to give his thanks again. Before he could utter a syllable though, Frigga suddenly stepped forward with an impish grin.

To his amazement, she pinched his cheeks, saying, "I still cannot believe my baby boy is going to have _twins_!"

His face burning, Loki strode to his father and gave him a firm handshake in an attempt to regain some dignity. Turning back to Thor, Loki grasped his arm, ignoring the way Thor as laughing uproariously at his expression.

The next second, the air was shimmering, and Frigga's smiling face was the last thing he saw. Despite it all, Loki could not help the smile that spread across his face as well, shaking his head at how impetuous their mother could be at times.

The trip took but a few seconds, but to the impatient soon-to-be-father, it seemed like a lifetime. In reality, the trip was so short that Thor was still laughing like a buffoon when their feet touched solid ground again. Loki took a few deep breathes, knowing that his face was flushed from embarrassment, and not wanting to greet Echo and the others in that state.

Thor finally stopped laughing, taking a few deep breathes himself, and in the silence Loki heard a peculiar noise. It was a dull, rhythmic thudding, and with further investigation, seemed to be emanating from the Stark Tower walls themselves.

Sharing a glance with Thor, Loki made his way down to the balcony that also doubled as Tony's disassembling unit for the Iron Man suit. While he passed it, Loki could still see that brave yet reckless idiot shedding his armor to have, of all things, a _drink_ with the God who had attacked his city.

Approaching the glass doors, the slight rumbling they had heard was now distinguishable as some sort of music, and Loki rolled his eyes. _'Who else would put their music high enough for the entirety of New York to hear?'_

Loki was just entering the living room from outside, Thor right behind him, when the sight that greeted them made him freeze – and then a broad smile crossed Loki's face. The speakers in each corner were blasting some 'pop' song, as the others referred to it, as a man sang with the beat they had heard earlier. **'I'm blue, da-ba-dee, da-ba-die, da-ba-dee, da-ba-die...'**

The scene in the actual living room was nothing strange. Steve, Bucky, and Natasha were sitting on the large couch facing the TV, while Bruce and Clint claimed the armchairs on either side of them. It seemed they were trying to hold a decent conversation, but due to the blasting music radiating from the kitchen, they were failing terribly.

As well as not being able to hear each other, their words were lost to laughter as they glanced back at the kitchen, and the two lunatics dancing within it. Loki himself had to hold in a laugh, taking in the sight of his lover acting so carefree amongst her fellow teammates.

Apparently they were making breakfast for everyone during their impromptu dance party, as Echo cracked one egg after another into a pan, shimmying past Tony to check on the bread toasting on the counter. Loki loved the laugh that burst from Echo's lips, as Tony mimicked her movements, wiggling his own hips in time to the music.

Just then Clint spotted Loki and Thor standing there, and shouted to be heard, "Hey guys! You're just in time for breakfast!"

The others shouted their own greetings, the majority of their words getting lost along the way, and Loki entered the living room completely. Then Bruce shouted, "Thank goodness you're back, Loki!"

Confused, Loki stepped further into the room to ask his meaning, but their shouts had caught the attention of the two dancers. "Loki!" He heard Echo shout joyfully, and the music was lowered to a normal (although still loud) volume. As she danced around the counter to another song, grinning at him – **'I wanna dance, and love, and dance, again'** – Loki noticed what she was wearing and laughed aloud.

"Yeah, she's been stealing your clothes since you left. It was like she was trying to make up for your absence – her behavior has been creeping toward the mischievous side lately," Natasha commented from behind him.

Steve added quietly, "And Tony was only urging her on...once she was done terrorizing him that is." Loki shook his head with a grin, taking in Echo's form and thinking _how much_ he liked seeing Echo in his clothes.

Echo was dressed in one of his light green shirts, fitting loosely on her shoulders and arms, the sleeves of which were rolled up to her elbows. He sighed when he noticed she had snagged a pair of his black boxers, but knew she could have chosen a worse pair to wear around the Tower.

All in all, she looked both absolutely adorable, what with the loose clothes dwarfing her already small form, and incredibly sexy, one side of his shirt drooping to reveal part of a warm shoulder.

Loki walked towards her, but before he could reach her, he saw a blur and suddenly Tony's face appeared in front of him. He flinched away, but Tony's hands gripped the front of his shirt, keeping Loki still as he exclaimed dramatically in a higher voice, "Oh, Loki! I thought you'd never return! The last I saw of you, you were nearly dying, and I could barely manage without you!"

Loki could only stare at the inventor as he continued, still with the higher tone of voice, "I've missed you so, the feel of your lips against my skin. I need you in my bed tonight, so we can –" But before Tony could finish his dramatic imitation of Echo, his eyes suddenly widened and he was wrenched away from Loki.

Bucky walked away smugly, leaving a stunned Tony on the floor at the feet of the woman Loki had missed dearly during his sickness. She looked down at Tony with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, and at seeing it, Tony cried pitifully, "Spare me!"

Echo gave him no more notice, only grinning at the laughter that came from the others' at Tony's reaction. Walking up to Loki, she looked up at him with such love that Loki could not wait any moment longer.

Pulling her close finally, he covered her plump lips with his own, sharing a deep kiss after those days apart. Ignoring the wolf-whistles behind him, Loki chuckled and whispered, "So...you've been stealing my clothes, have you?"

Echo had the audacity to blush and look down, only to look back into his eyes and say with a smirk, "Yes, I have." Biting her lips, she continued, "You'll have to teach me another lesson, I guess."

Loki held in a groan at that thought, wanting nothing more than to escape with her to their room. But he had to talk with the others first about his mother's _request_.

Holding Echo against his body, he brushed some hair out of her face, breathing into her ear, "Oh, you _will_ be punished my dear, have no doubt about that. But first, I must take care of something."

Claiming her lips in another passionate kiss, Loki then turned her around, toward the kitchen again. In a spur of the moment, he smacked her bottom to get her to start walking, not being able to hold himself back completely. She squeaked in surprise, looking back incredulously, then wagged her finger at him with a smirk.

Loki watched her one more second as she walked away, hips swaying in time with the music, then went back to sit with the others in the living room. "I have a bit of a task, everyone, given to me by my mother. And I need your help."

Immediately, he had everyone's attention, and said quietly, not wanting Echo to hear even if the music was still loud, "My mother would see Echo and I married before the twins' birth. I know this gives us little time to prepare, but I would like to ask her soon, and thus require your help."

Looking at his teammates, Loki became a bit exasperated when he saw they were all grinning like fools, making him feel like a love struck teenager who just professed his crush to his friends. "Goodness, surely you all realized this was inevitable, even if my mother hadn't spoken with me! Will you help me, _please_?"

"Sure, sure, Casanova. I actually have a bit of a plan of what you can do already, and I know this great place where you can get your ring, and..."

"Yes, Tony, we know you're full of ideas," Bruce cut in, patting his boyfriend's shoulder consolingly. "But let's not swarm the poor man too early," he said, grinning at a grateful Loki.

"Here, how about you..." Steve started into his idea, the others adding their own thoughts as well, and Loki felt a huge load lift off his shoulders.

With his teammates by his sides, he may _actually _get through this unscathed. _'Norns, give me strength.'_

* * *

**Echo is 8 weeks, 4 days pregnant in this chapter.**

**Okay, I actually got this done on time! I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now, this is great. :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, I'm open to suggestions and critiques. I'm aiming for another update on...Monday? Eh, let's see how it goes. Until then, my fabulous readers! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for being late again guys, a whole load of college work came out of nowhere and I've only managed to finish now. *phew* Thanks for the great reviews – Loki'sdreamer, castielslittlebitch, Spottedivy, DoctorLokiLove, Rhino – and to everyone for following me this far! It really means a lot! :D**

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**July 26, 2013****:**

It was two days after Loki had returned from Asgard, with the news that his mother wanted to see he and Echo married before the twins' birth. At the moment, Loki was sitting in the passenger seat of one of Tony's cars, hanging on for dear life.

"_Must_ you drive so recklessly?" He gripped the armrests of the seat tighter, as Tony maneuvered skillfully around another car _yet_ again. "I understand that we are restricted in time, but there is no need for – DAMN IT STARK!"

Tony laughed, crowing joyfully as he accelerated a bit more just as a green light turned yellow. Wind buffeted Tony's already messy hair, due to the _lack of a roof_ on this 'Audi,' he had his red-tinted sunglasses perched on his nose, and a smile on his face that proved to Loki that Tony knew _exactly_ what he was doing to the two Gods in his car.

A quick glance into the backseat of the car confirmed that Thor was just as uneasy with Tony's driving as he was. The next second Loki was looking forward again when he had almost lost his grip on the armrest at Tony's sharp movement around another vehicle. Loki vowed never to get into another vehicle if Tony was going to be driving.

Out of the corner of his eye, Loki saw Tony look at him, then at Thor through a mirror, and sigh resignedly. Their speed lowered substantially, and Loki was able to breathe easier as he turned to the lunatic that was somehow allowed to drive. "Where did you say we were going?"

"To get the rings, man!" Tony exclaimed, his smile widening once again. "Couldn't let you go by yourself, and get less than the best! So I'm helping you!"

It never ceased to amuse Loki how excited Tony became with these types of occasions. His energy was infectious though, and Loki found his frown had morphed into a smile without his acknowledgement.

Rolling his eyes, Loki said, "I do appreciate what you are doing, but could you drive with a _bit_ less fervor next time?"

To his dismay, Tony just grinned maliciously. Feigning deep thought, he mused, "Now why would I buy a fast car, and drive slow?"

Shaking his head, Loki looked out the window as the car – _finally_ – slowed down and stopped. All the buildings in New York were impressive, but _this_ building – it was practically expensive personified.

As he stepped out of the car, he managed to close his jaw, for Loki could literally _feel_ Tony's smugness at his awe. "I suppose this'll do," he said with a grin, simulating disinterest.

Loki expected Tony to either deflate, or pout at Loki's rejection. What he didn't expect was for the man to burst out laughing, causing a few people walking around them to turn back in surprise. Tony took a breath, and managed to say, "Oh, you two were definitely made for each other. Remember? Echo said the same thing about my Tower the first day she was out of the cell."

That brought a smile to Loki's face, for he would never forget that moment. It was then that he realized that she had her own sarcastic side, and it had both worried and intrigued him. Not that he would ever tell her _that_.

They managed to get into the store without much interference from civilians, and Loki had to pause yet again to take in the many beautiful pieces of jewelry these _Midgardians_ had been able to create. Of course Loki had seen much more elegant trinkets, especially from the Elves of Alfheim, but it was an immense surprise to see that the talents were similar in level on Midgard.

"So, lover boy, go ahead and look around. If you see anything, holler." Clapping him on the shoulder, Tony gave one last smile before turning back to Thor. "You, big guy, are coming with me. Let's not stress your brother out anymore than we already have."

Loki smiled softly to himself, having already started browsing the glass case nearest him. He could hear the murmurings around him every so often, could see the people beside him creeping closer to peek at his face and see if it was really him, but could really care less. Now was all about finding a ring for Echo.

However, his curiosity got the better of him after a few moments. Loki snuck a look to his right, and sure enough the elderly couple who had been peering over snapped their heads forward again. Grinning, Loki started walking slowly beside the counter, examining the many rings the store had to offer.

Naturally, he wanted something beautiful that would match Echo, but that would be significant of their love as well. Gold or silver was too usual to be by itself – he needed some sort of jewel accenting it. _'I am a Prince, after all.'_

Peering closer at another section of rings, Loki grimaced slightly. Now, when he had said a jewel, he meant something a bit smaller than these _rocks_ that would weigh heavily on Echo's fingers. Moving to another section, he actually groaned lowly at the sheer size of the diamonds on these rings. _'Oh, this is much too gaudy.'_

"Do you need some help, dear?" Loki nearly jumped a mile, regaining his composure quickly as he turned towards the old lady he had seen earlier.

She looked rather sweet, with short white curly hair, light blue eyes sparkling behind round glasses, and a nice smile she was currently shining at him. She was dressed in a lilac dress, with white stockings and a small matching bag hanging from her shoulder.

While she was about 5'6, her husband was only a few inches shorter than him. He was in a typical black suit, a few strands of grey hair covering the top of his otherwise balding head, brown eyes peering at him curiously, as if Loki was a new creature, and he didn't quite know what to expect from him. Which was the truth, Loki supposed.

Making eye contact with the lady again, Loki realized he had not yet replied to her question. "Ah, well, I suppose, yes? I am merely searching for an..._engagement_ ring, I believe that is how my teammate called it. And truly," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "I do not know where to start."

The lady beamed up at him, saying, "Well, I think we can help you. I see you do not care for these bigger rings, and that is perfectly fine. My Arthur bought me a simple band when he asked for my hand, but I was more excited at the fact that he asked me to marry him. Right, dear?"

"Yes, Margaret," Arthur sighed, somewhat wearily, though no doubt used to her comments at this point. Turning his attention back to Loki, he asked, "What type of ring are you looking for, son? Diamond, gold, birthstone?"

Loki was momentarily distracted by the man dropping the term 'son' so casually, but then he zeroed in on the older man's last comment. "Birthstone? What is that, may I ask?"

"It is the jewel that represents the month you were born in. Mine is an emerald for May – I got a pair of earrings with that stone when I first pierced my ears," Margaret said, smiling in reminiscence. Looking back at Loki, she asked, "Are you interested in a ring like that? When is your beloved's birthday?"

'_I have no idea when _anyone's_ birthday is, let alone when Echo's is.'_ Cheeks warming in embarrassment, he explained, "We never...got around to that, what with our...job."

Margaret didn't seem convinced. Seeing her face, Arthur cut in, "And you want to marry this gal? You_ never_ forget your ladies' birthday, _believe me_," he whispered the last part, leaning in as if it were a deep secret. Loki grinned when Margaret swatted Arthur gently on the arm, just picturing Echo and himself in the same position.

Glancing around, Loki said, "But I'm sure my friends can find out." Spotting Thor immediately, Loki gestured to get Tony's attention, who was actually sincerely looking for a ring. _'I'm touched,'_ he thought, smirking at Tony's expectant expression as he walked over.

"When is Echo's birthday?"

Tony looked surprised, looking from him to the couple still standing beside him. Shaking his head quickly, he said carefully, "I think you should focus on the ring, and we can get a birthday gift another time."

Loki rolled his eyes, but before he could retort, Margaret said softly, "Actually he would like to buy her a ring with her birthstone. Now, do you know her birthday, Mr. Stark?" Even with her calm tone of voice, Loki could tell she was not fooling around. _'Strange, how these Midgardians became so involved in a strangers business,'_ Loki reflected, grinning at Arthur's amused expression.

Tony turned back to Loki, fiddling in his jacket pocket. "Well, _I_ don't know hers, but let me call the others. Steve probably has everyone's down, since he's such a mother hen." Taking his phone out, Tony turned away from them slightly.

A few seconds later Tony said cheerfully, "Hey Capsicle! Just the man I wanted to talk to!" His grin disappeared for a second, and Loki had to stifle a laugh at what Steve might be saying to him. "But – I'm not – _Steve_," Tony almost whined, looking around quickly to make sure he didn't attract anyone's attention.

Groaning slightly in frustration, Tony said firmly, "Steve, I swear, this is important. Do you know Echo's birthday?" Loki waited expectantly, sighing when Tony's face smoothed over and said, "All right, thanks pal."

Ending the call with a quick click, Tony turned back to their little group with a broad smile on his face. "So, we're looking for a sapphire guys! Seems our Echo was a September baby."

Now _this_ he could work with. It seemed Margaret had the same idea, and wandered over to a counter across the room, Arthur trailing along. Curious, Loki strode over and looked down through the glass case they were perusing.

Taking a few steps to the left, his eyes caught onto one ring in particular and he could feel his face stretching with the smile that crossed it. "That's it." His voice got the attention of Tony and Thor, who stepped up on either side of him to follow the path of the finger he was pointing with.

"That's the one."

* * *

**July 27****th****, 2013****:**

"You know I'm all for tradition," Steve began, rubbing the back of his neck. "But you're a _God_, for Pete's sake. I'm sure you can come up with something more special to you both."

"Yeah, you have all these tricks under your sleeves, magic up some lights and a show or something, you know?" Bucky added, stretching lazily on the couch. Steve whacked him on the knee, causing his boyfriend to jump and frown at him.

Loki rested his chin on his hand, too strung up on nerves to feel tired, but despite the help from these two, he still did not know _how_ he was going to ask Echo. Bruce was also brainstorming, sitting beside him on the opposite couch of Steve and Bucky.

Glancing over when Bruce stiffened slightly, Loki sat back up as Bruce leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, saying, "You're onto something, Bucky." Laughing at Bucky's smug grin, Bruce turned to an expectant Loki.

"We are all in awe of you when you perform your spells, or when you use magic to fight – why not channel that into something gentler, and surprise Echo. I'm sure she'd love it." Loki nodded his head, contemplating the suggestion and rather liking the scenarios that popped into his head.

Steve tapped his chin, before saying, "Maybe we can get Tony to help us with this too."

They turned curiously to Bruce, who shrugged. "You _know_ how fancy he can get with the lights on this Tower – maybe we can get him to pitch in with a little something."

Tilting his head, Loki imagined how that would play out – and suddenly everything clicked. "All right everyone, here's what we're going to do."

* * *

**July 28****th****, 2013****:**

Loki was sitting around the kitchen table with the others, fine-tuning the Master Plan, as it had been dubbed. Sitting between Clint and Bruce, he listened to the others' ideas as they came up, nodding now and again at the ones he liked.

"So, Loki, you'll be hiding here, and you know when to come out, right?" Natasha asked, pointing at a map of the streets surrounding the Tower. Loki nodded, and she seemed satisfied, turning to Tony to remind him of his part.

Loki heard a click from down the hallway, and immediately snapped his fingers rapidly, getting the others' attention. He gestured to the bedrooms, managing to lower his hands and act casual as footsteps neared the kitchen.

He almost blew it, however, when he had to stifle a laugh at the sight of Echo wandering slowly into the kitchen. Wearing a pair of short pajama bottoms and a loose t-shirt slightly too big for her, with her curly hair in complete disarray, and her eyes heavy with sleep, it was obvious that she had just woken up and not completely.

In her near-sleepwalking state, Echo did not seem to notice that everyone had stopped talking, the only sound being her soft footsteps padding around them to the counter. Loki took a quick glance around, seeing that everyone was in a similar state of amusement as he was. He could tell that Tony was tempted to jolt Echo completely awake, but she had had a tough few days. Also, Loki would kill him. If they woke her now, she would not be able to go back to sleep until night, and she needed her rest.

Turning his eyes back onto Echo, he watched as she carefully filled a cup in the sink, then took a sip. She turned towards them, smiling tiredly as she noticed they were all staring at her. Holding her glass steady in one hand, Echo made her way around the table towards Loki. He could hardly keep in the laughter at seeing her walking around like this, eyes barely open, _clearly_ just one small step away from falling asleep again.

Just as she reached the space between Loki and Clint's chairs, to his _complete_ surprise, she turned towards the archer instead, placing her glass on the table. Sharing a quick look with the others', they were just as bewildered as he was. Looking back quickly, Loki leaned over slightly to see around Echo, taking in Clint's confused expression. _'Clearly not planned, then. Is she really that out of it?'_

Echo rested her free hand on the side of Clint's neck, rubbing it gently with her thumb, and _yes_, apparently she was that out of it. She started leaning in to place a kiss on the now paralyzed man's cheek, her hand creeping up to go into his hair. That's when she paused, her lips an inch from his skin.

Loki had a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing aloud, completely fine with seeing how red Clint's face could get. Right now it was a nice shade of rose red, but he was sure it could get darker. Chancing a glance around, he shut his eyes, breathing deeply to keep his laughter in.

Bucky had his hand over Steve's mouth, while Tony was holding his arms behind him, obviously to keep him from snapping Echo out of it. Thor had a huge grin on his face, very amused with Echo's antics, and Bruce was watching with an interest as if it were one of his experiments. Natasha, surprisingly enough, was smirking at Clint, her grin widening when Clint's wide eyes caught hers, silently begging for help.

Echo's fingers curled slightly in Clint's hair, her muddled mind noticing that it was much too short to be Loki's. She leaned away slightly, her hand moving onto Clint's cheek, squinting at his face before frowning. Looking to her left, her eyes focused momentarily to spot Loki, before becoming clouded again. A small smile crossed her lips, and she turned back to Clint.

"Oops," she whispered, patting Clint's cheek softly before pushing his face to look the other way. The man in question immediately sighed in relief, grinning in embarrassment as the others finally laughed at his predicament. He shrugged, trying to regain his dignity.

She stumbled across the small space between them, hands coming up to land on Loki's shoulders before she could fall completely. As it was, she merely sat in his lap anyways, giving him the kiss on the cheek as she had planned.

Loki expected her to get up again, but was not all that surprised when she laid her forehead on the junction between his neck and shoulder breathing out slowly as she relaxed. "Echo, wouldn't you rather sleep in bed? It's much more comfortable."

"Hmmm, I'm okay here. Jus keep talkin', don' mind me," she said tiredly, a yawn at the end causing her to slur her words. Loki chuckled softly, along with Bruce, Thor and Steve across from him, all looking at Echo with a sort of fondness.

"I'm sure you would sleep better in our room, and we could talk easier without having to worry about waking you up."

"Keeping secrets from me? Naughty," another yawn, then she said softer, "naughty." They all waited, but there was no other comment. Rolling his eyes, for Echo had fallen asleep on him _yet again_, Loki managed to get his arms under Echo and then got to his feet.

"I'll be right back," he said to the others, walking out of the kitchen. Using magic to open the door, Loki laid Echo carefully onto her side of the bed, pulling the sheets over her again.

Sitting carefully on the edge beside her, Loki brushed a hair out of her face, just taking a moment to watch her sleep. _'My Echo.'_ Placing a soft kiss on her cheek, he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. Tomorrow was the day. _'Yggdrasil, give me the courage to go through with this.'_

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**Echo goes from 8 weeks, 6 days to 9 weeks in this chapter.**

**Okey-dokey, I hope that was all right! Again, I'm terribly sorry this was so late, but this has been the week from hell, concerning homework and projects. Rather than promise you a set date, and then failing again, I'll just say, expect an update in the next 4 or 5 days. Sorry for disappointing you all so many times. Until next time! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**All righty, I've finally found some time. October just doesn't seem to be willing to give me much free time. :/ But anyways, thanks to all my followers (new and old, because there was a surge suddenly which made me super happy), to my faithful reviewers – Loki'sdreamer, Spottedivy, DoctorLokiLove – and to the rest of my readers. You are all very appreciated! :) **

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July 29th, 2013 – THE BIG DAY

Loki stood in the shadows, leaning against the building directly across from the Tower. Hidden just inside of an alley, he had also cloaked himself with his magic, becoming invisible to everyone as an extra precaution. Everything had to go perfectly, or else he may never get the courage to do this again – with his mother's warning and all.

The others, he knew, were getting ready to bring Echo outside all those floors above him. Loki wondered if Echo had caught on to what they were doing, and hoped yet again that her brilliant perceptiveness did not ruin the whole thing. Suddenly, the watch Bruce had given him for this 'mission' beeped, and immediately Loki's heart began thumping harder against his chest.

Uncrossing his arms, Loki straightened himself up and took a few steps into the light. As he was still invisible, Loki made sure not to bump into anyone or stand in the street. Deeming his position safe, he glanced up.

Using some more magic, still maintaining his invisibility, Loki looked into the topmost window of the Tower to see Echo gazing out with a small confused smile on her face. She turned away for a moment, talking to someone, and Loki knew this was it.

Taking a deep breath, Loki calmed his heart slightly, then gathered his energy. _'Show time.'_

* * *

It may have been her imagination, but it seemed like everyone was anxious about something. Now that Echo thought about it, her teammates had been acting rather strangely these past few days as well...at least when they were around her.

She was the secret smiles they exchanged with each other, the whispered conversations that ended the moment she stepped closer, and Echo'd have to be an idiot not to realize something was going on – she just couldn't figure out _what_.

And then there was the disappearance of Loki. That puzzled her the most, especially since he was usually falling over himself to make sure she was as comfortable and relaxed as he could make her. Her curiosity was only peaked when nobody could give her a straight answer of where he was. _'What's going on here?'_

At the moment, she was sitting on the couch and pretending to watch TV. Clint was sitting on her left, legs extended onto the little table in front of him, while Steve and Bucky occupied the space to her right.

Echo was leaning her head against Clint's shoulder, a continuation of a joke made after she had almost kissed him. He had been embarrassed at first, but as was his nature, Clint had quickly loosened up again, turning it against Loki. _"You'd better watch out, man – she obviously wants me."_ Clint had had to hide for five hours after that statement until Loki finally stopped searching for him.

The others, being Thor, Bruce, Tony, and Natasha, were in the kitchen discussing whatever it was that Echo wasn't supposed to hear. Echo had given up trying to overhear, especially after Steve had come up behind her and nearly given her a heart attack.

Echo was just beginning to truly relax, when something beeped inside the kitchen, and when she looked up she saw Tony at the window in the corner of her eye. Turning her head slightly, she took in his expression with no small amount of amusement.

He seemed transfixed with whatever he was looking at, eyes wide and lips slightly parted in awe. Echo had only seen him like that when one of his projects turned out beautifully on the first try, or when Bruce surprised him with a random gift or invention. Once again, her interest spiked, though Echo didn't get up right away. She'd probably be shooed away anyways.

"What's so interesting over there?" Clint asked, his shoulders shaking with barely restrained laughter.

"Come and look, I can't explain it," he answered, gesturing for them to come over.

Clint nudged Echo. "Go see what's so _amazing_, will ya? I'm pretty comfy right now."

"And you think I'm not?" Echo scoffed playfully. But in truth, Echo was excited that she was finally included in their business. She relented quickly, especially when Clint turned wide, puppy eyes on her. "Fine – and just so you know, Thor pulls those off better."

Thor glanced into the living room inquisitively, but Echo just waved him away, shaking her head. Walking over to Tony, she peered out into the night. After a few beats of silence, she whispered, "What exactly are we looking at?"

But Tony – of course – had an explanation for why he was amazed with the _completely normal_ New York street outside. "It'll turn up again, don't worry. Just keep looking." With that, Tony walked away to the couch, leaving Echo standing there and feeling very confused and a bit exasperated.

"Is this a prank?"

Tony just laughed, turning back towards her to say, "No, you really will see something. Trust me, and look outside."

Searching his eyes, Echo finally sighed when she saw no maliciousness in them and turned back to the window with a small smile despite herself. "I swear, if you're lying, I'm going to–"

Before Echo could finish her threat however, a small flicker of green light caught her attention. Focusing on that area, her shoulders sagged when nothing appeared again. _'Probably just a reflection off the windows.'_

Glancing around, Echo gasped softly when a small ball of green light danced through the night. Glowing against the glass of the opposite building, her eyes followed its' every movement and unconsciously leant closer to the window, completely missing her teammates' soft laughter behind her at her reactions.

As she watched, the light suddenly began moving sporadically, repeating its movements over and over again. It sped up bit by bit, and then Echo's amazement grew as she realized it was spelling out a sentence. The light was moving so fast that the words remained in the air, and slowly she could make them out.

"Come...outs – oh, _outside_...Echo," she whispered, eyes widening when she deciphered the message. _'Come outside, Echo.'_ Three little words, and her heart was already pounding in excitement.

Turning away from the window, Echo finally noticed that everyone was standing a few steps behind her, waiting and watching expectantly. The beginnings of a wide smile forming on her face, Echo asked, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

The elevator ride down couldn't have gone faster, the air fairly buzzing with anticipation and nearly stifling to Echo. She finally had an idea of what was going on, but she still wouldn't fully believe it until it actually happened.

Echo walked out of the Tower slowly, her seven bodyguards at her sides and behind her by a few feet, a steady presence but not overwhelming her. Looking around, searching for a certain person in particular, she almost became disappointed when he was nowhere to be found.

People were already starting to gather, since the Avengers were out in the open for some unknown reason, but were keeping their distance due to caution tape that had obviously been placed there earlier.

A shimmer in the corner of her eye caught her attention immediately, and Echo laughed softly when the orb flashed past her. It left a trail of green light behind it, and she ran a hand through it experimentally. Immediately, something deep inside her hummed, and Echo nearly closed her eyes as the feeling she only got around Loki went through her, much stronger than it had ever been.

Echo spun slowly, following the light as it circled her while traveling steadily upwards, forming a sort of loose green tornado around her. Between the gaps of the spiral, she could see her teammates watching, all with broad smiles on their faces. She was sure a similar smile was on her face, and it was only getting bigger.

The green sphere suddenly flew straight up, before exploding into countless particles of green dust. Echo expected them to rain down on her, but instead they bunched together into the shape of a fountain pen. Then, as if the night sky were a piece of parchment, it began to write.

"My dear Echo...I will always...be grateful...to the Fates...that brought you...to me." The 'pen' wrote bit by bit, allowing Echo to read before the words vanished and the sentence was continued. And with each word, Echo's eyes grew steadily wetter.

Sniffing slightly, she continued to whisper along, "When you came into my life, it was changed forever. I was broken, and you saved me from falling to the point of no return." She raised a hand to wipe away the tears that were escaping against her will, smiling when Natasha sidled up next to her and gave her a teary smile as well.

"We have been through Hell and back together, and now I cannot imagine a life without you by my side. Would you..." Echo's heart began beating faster again. "...do me the honor..." Her cheeks were beginning to stretch from her smile, even as she held her breath subconsciously. "...of becoming...my beautiful, blushing bride?"

Some particles formed her name once more, a question mark at the end, while the rest created an arrow pointing to the right. As she turned, nearly buzzing with excitement, Echo saw Tony click something on her phone, and her breath was taken away as she saw the Tower.

Most of the windows were as dark as the night, allowing the message the remaining lit windows produced to be seen clearly. The crowd around them gave a collective 'aw,' and Echo released a choked laugh, joyful tears clogging her throat. For the words strewn across the entire Tower were none other than, "Will you marry me?"

Movement in front of Echo caught her eyes, and she looked away from the shining Tower to see Loki walking towards her. Dressed in the attire he'd wear to Asgard, his green collared shirt and black pants with his boots, Loki's eyes gleamed with joy as he looked at her. She started to walk to him, but Loki raised a hand, striding forward until he was standing in front of her.

Echo looked up at him with a wide smile, loving the way his face smoothed over with happiness as he took in her expression. Taking hold of her left hand, Loki slowly lowered down onto his knee, and Echo couldn't stop herself from holding her breath in anticipation.

"Echo?"

Echo lowered her hand, having not even realized she had lifted it to her mouth, and whispered, "Yes, Loki?"

She nearly lost herself in those green eyes as they looked up at her, all the love he felt for her shimmering within them. Echo watched as Loki waved his free hand, conjuring a small box from thin air, and she was sure her heart would just stop if she got any more wound up.

"Will you marry me?" He opened the box, and Echo gave a soft gasp as the ring was revealed. It had a silver band, with the tiniest diamonds decorating the top sides of the ring. But most prominent was the round blue stone in the middle of it, a beautiful sapphire shining up at her.

Remembering to breathe, Echo managed a quick, "Yes. Of course, _yes_." Loki carefully took the ring out of the box, and gently slid it onto Echo's finger. It was _perfect_, and just as Loki stood straight again, she placed her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

Loki immediately brought his hands up, one to caress her cheek and the other on the small of her back, holding her close. His heart was finally calming, and with Echo's acceptance, Loki allowed himself to fully enjoy this kiss with Echo. He could hear their teammates cheering and whistling behind them, and was actually surprised to hear the civilians clapping as well.

Pulling away from Echo, he smiled back at the sight of her overjoyed expression, kissing her quickly once more on the lips. Turning towards the others, an arm still around Echo, he took in all the applauding people and felt a surge of warmth go through him.

Who would have known, all those years ago, that he would one day ask the very team he had fought to help him with a marriage proposal. But, they pulled it off, everything went brilliantly, and Loki couldn't be happier.

* * *

**All right, how was that? I hope it was OK, and not too disappointing, especially after being a bit later than expected. Either way, let me know if there's something I should work on, or if you want to see something in a future chapter! Oh, and here's a picture of the ring Loki got her! (Get rid of the parantheses, and replace the (-dot-)'s with periods. Hopefully FF doesn't delete it.)**

** http (:) (/) (/) sd1 (-dot-) gemvara (-dot-) net/ig/PLD-ENG-211/LD/2/Pall-Pall-S-D-D/600/round- sapphire-palladium-ring-with-diamond (-dot-) jpg  
**

**And Echo was 9 weeks, 1 day pregnant in this chapter!**

**I'll be trying to update sooner next time, so until then, take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys, I'm back! :D Man, yesterday I fully planned on updating, but let me tell you October has been the Month from Hell so far, and I'm dead-tired. Without a cup of coffee in the morn', I'm dozing off in class at 10:30AM. :/ Anyways, enough of that. Big thanks to all my lovely readers, to my reviewers who made me **_**super**_** happy with your comments of the last chapter – Lokisarmyforever, Spottedivy, Rhino, Loki'sdreamer, castielslittlebitch – and to all those who've followed/favorited recently! Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

"There go our plans to have a day in," Loki complained jokingly, pulling on the pair of thick sweatpants as Clint had told him to. _Why_, as it was the first of August and therefore _hot_, he didn't know. But of course the bastard didn't give him any reason.

Echo's laugh came through the bathroom door, where she was getting ready herself. "Don't be too upset, I'm sure they've all planned a terrific night for us both."

Loki grinned, excited despite himself. He and Echo had just begun to settle down on the couch, content to stay there for the remainder of the afternoon. But, it seemed their teammates had different ideas.

_Apparently_, there was a tradition for these Midgardians in which the groom's and bride's friends arranged a bachelor and bachelorette party for them, respectively. It seemed that ever since Loki had given the news that he was going to propose to Echo, the others had begun planning these celebrations for them.

Now it was three days since Echo had said 'Yes,' – a thought that still made Loki's heart lift with happiness. That reminded him; he had yet to tell his mother of the good news. He mustn't leave it off for too long, or else face the wrath of Frigga – a shiver went down Loki's spine just imagining it.

The bathroom door clicked as it opened, and Loki looked up to see Echo emerge positively _glowing_. Her brown hair fell in waves beside her face, a touch of makeup accenting her eyes, and a dab of gloss on her lips that made them seem even softer than usual. She had on a light blue skirt, a white blouse big enough so that it did not stretch over her bump – but not so large that it hid all her curves – and a nice pair of black flats on her feet.

Loki slowly walked forward, looking his lover up and down again before meeting her eyes. It seemed she was admiring him too, particularly his still bare chest, and her eyes were colored with a similar desire that Loki felt.

Caressing her cheek, Loki brought his mouth down on hers, the kiss instantly deepened when he licked at her lip. In response, she nipped at his bottom lip playfully, giggling when it elicited a growl from Loki.

Looking down at his little minx, Loki was just about ready to 'rustle up the sheets', as he'd heard Tony say once – much to Bruce's chagrin – when a knock at the door stopped him from claiming Echo's lips once more.

Huffing in frustration, Loki stood straight and called out, "What?"

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to in there!" Clint said, banging on the door again just to annoy him more, Loki was sure. "It doesn't take that long to get ready, even for Echo. Come out or I'm coming in."

At that Loki begrudgingly stepped away from Echo, not wanting to give Clint any blackmail material. As he walked to the bed, he could hear Echo's sad sigh as he pulled his shirt on, followed by a hooded sweater, and grinned at her reaction. Turning around, he winked at her. "Later, love."

"Hmm, I'll hold you to that," Echo teased, grabbing a small black purse Pepper had helped her buy, and walked to the door. Opening it, Clint was revealed to be dressed in similar all-black, casual attire as Loki, grinning at them.

Clapping his hands, Clint asked cheerfully, "All ready? Let's get this party started!" Walking down to the living room, making sure the couple was following him, Clint explained, "All right, so Echo and the ladies are going to do their thing, while the _men_ and I take lover boy here out, and we're all meeting up at this club Tony found later on. "

As they entered the main room, Loki logged that bit of information away, simultaneously taking in everyone's appearance. All the men were dressed up in black, like Loki and Clint, in sweats and some form of sweater. He had positively _no_ idea what they were going to be doing, but hopefully somewhere cool, for he was already sweating.

Tony was in the kitchen with Bruce, happily chatting away with Rhodey, a friend of his who had been invited and actually able to come over, unlike Happy, Pepper's boyfriend. Phil had also been invited, but had had to decline due to the fact that he was in Portland with his new girlfriend. _'A cellist, I believe she is,'_ Loki thought, turning his attention to the rest of the room.

Steve and Bucky were seated on one couch, facing Natasha, Maria, and Pepper and obviously going over their plans once more before they set off. Thor was talking in another corner with his girlfriend Jane, who had flown in the past day, and who would be joining Echo and the ladies.

From what he could see, from the other girls' expressions and the energy filling the room, Loki knew that Echo was in for a fun night. Their male counterparts were more serious, but there were glances that Loki caught, and he found his excitement rising as well.

Conversation ebbed as he and Echo entered the room, and Tony quickly jumped to attention. "Everybody ready? Let's go!"

* * *

Loki could not believe how much _fun_ he was having at the moment. Ducking behind a pillar quickly when he heard footsteps close by, Loki looked behind him, squinting through the darkness at Clint. Grinning, he jerked his head in the direction where their next unsuspecting victim had gone.

Having already taken down Bucky and Rhodey, they were hunting down Bucky's partner-in-arms, the man who would regret putting Loki and Clint together in a team "because it would be like old times." Only Tony would make a joke about Loki placing Clint under his control – or rather the power of the Tesseract – when all the rest of them wanted to do was forget about that incident.

'_You're such an asshole sometimes, you know that?' Clint said in frustration. 'I should just shoot you right now, and see how you like sitting on the bench the whole time.'_

Loki was glad Clint had restrained himself, for now the two of them were turning it against the sarcastic inventor. With Clint's skills as a spy, and Loki's own agility and speed, they were a force to be reckoned with. Tony was their prey, and would never know what hit him until it was too late.

Lifting his weapon to a ready position, Loki adjusted the mask on his face and stepped back into the hallway. Walking cautiously to the left, Clint watching their backs behind him, Loki froze when he heard the footsteps coming back towards them.

The pillars on either side of them were too far to get behind without being seen, and there was no extra room for them to duck into either. Readying himself, his heartbeat beating faster again from the adrenaline, Loki fired the moment he saw a sneakered foot come around the corner.

There was a curse as the person barely dodged the bright green paintball, backtracking quickly, and Loki's grin turned feral. _'Tony.'_ Evidently Clint recognized their victim also, as he rushed past Loki to run around the corner.

There was the sound of guns going off, and Loki quickly sprinted after his teammate. Clint was opposite Loki, with Tony between them both, and now had a red spot on his right leg. Tony had an orange splotch on his left arm and another just above where his bellybutton probably was.

Loki winced in sympathy, having been hit by Steve earlier, a bright blue spot on the back of his right calf...before firing off his own shot just as the man began to straighten up again. The green ball of paint splattered across the right side of Tony's chest, making him grunt from impact and actually knocking him back a step.

One green from him, the two oranges from Clint, the purple spot on his back from Bruce, and a yellow one from Thor on his right leg, added up to five in total. One more, and dear Iron Man would be defeated. _'Time to finish him.'_

Loki surged forward, barely slowing when his right shoulder was painted red as Tony fired at him. Over Tony's shoulder, Loki could see Clint aiming his own gun at the unsuspecting man between them. In perfect synchronization, they fired, the sound echoing through the dark room.

A second later, Tony had dropped to one knee, after Clint had hit him right below where his leg bent. He also had another green spot on his midriff, and was rubbing it woefully as a device on his mask beeped, signifying his defeat.

Patting Tony on the shoulder as he passed him, Loki followed Clint further down the hallway. Clint paused at the other corner, motioning for him to be quiet and go slowly. They made it around the corner, and went across two more hallways without any problem...and that was exactly what made Loki uneasy.

Tapping Clint on the back, he pointed around them, gesturing to listen well. One moment later Loki heard a soft footstep to the right of him, and whirled around.

Firing off three shots, Loki glanced around, his breathing heavy behind his mask as adrenaline rushed through his body. He saw a shadowy figure sprint past him, and shot off four more green paintballs. His hairs on the back of his neck stood straight, and Loki turned just in time to see Steve fire at him.

His upper left leg was covered with bright blue, but Loki just pushed the slight pain down and lifted his gun. Aiming carefully, taking note of how Steve was leaning slightly towards the right, Loki fired quickly at Steve's left foot. He then stepped to the right, exactly as Loki wanted him to, and Loki let off another few rounds at him.

A beep sounded from Steve's mask, and Loki watched in amusement as the Captain's shoulders slumped sadly. Loki patted his shoulder consolingly, similar to how he did with Tony, and then continued down the hall behind Clint.

After another few minutes, Clint stopped in front of him, turning back to Loki and asking, "Wait, who's left? We got Tony, Bucky, Rhodey, and Steve. I think Thor was taken out, since he wasn't with Steve before. That leaves..."

Before Clint could finish, he staggered forward, a gun having gone off just a second earlier. When Clint turned around to try to find his attacker, Loki could see the bright purple spot on the back of his left shoulder. "Bruce," Loki finished, becoming wary immediately.

They had not seen Bruce at all this whole time, even when they had taken down Rhodey. The only proof that the quiet man was playing were the two purple spots on Loki's right arm, and now the new spot on Clint's body. If he did not have his 'temper' problem, Loki was sure Bruce could have been a terrific spy – perhaps not to Clint's level, but good enough for S.H.I.E.L.D.

He was shocked out of his musing rather violently, after being hit in the center of his back, nearly toppling over from the impact. Swiveling around rapidly, Loki finally saw the end of a gun disappear behind a pillar. Pointing quickly, Loki and Clint made their way over, each on one side of the pillar.

Sprinting the last few steps, they both fired before realizing that the space was now empty. _'How?'_ Clint looked up at him, before jerking to the side when he was shot again, twice in a row.

Loki turned, firing at the same time, but to no avail. He found himself smiling at the notion that he may be beaten by Bruce again – this time not literally hopefully. Looking around, he saw a flash of green, and was thrilled to see that he had actually hit Bruce one of those times.

Aiming carefully, keeping his gun steady and straight, Loki waited patiently as he turned slowly around. In the corner of his eye, despite the darkness, Loki saw a shadow move slightly a moment before he heard the rustle of clothing.

Turning swiftly, Loki fired off three shots, cheering inwardly when he saw the glowing green paintballs splatter against Bruce's right arm and leg. A beep sounded right after, and then Loki actually yelled joyfully, Clint's victory shout joining his a second later.

He may be incredibly sore and bruised later on, but this was more fun than Loki had had in a long while, and he was incredibly grateful to his teammates. The lights flashed on, and Loki squinted slightly as his eyes adjusted.

From behind him, Loki heard Tony call, "So...who's up for round two?"

* * *

A few painful but victorious hours later, Loki and the others finally retired to head back to the Tower. Apparently his 'mates' – a term that Steve had used and Loki rather liked – were taking him out to dinner first, before they met up with the ladies at a club.

Standing under the hot stream of water, which felt _heavenly_ on his new bruises, Loki wondered how Echo was doing. He was completely sure she was having just as much fun as he was, even if with different activities and such. Laughing softly, Loki supposed he could forgive his teammates for tearing him away from the couch, even if he had wanted to stay with Echo for the afternoon.

Drying himself quickly, Loki put on a pair of decent black slacks, a white dressed shirt and looped a tie expertly around his neck. Pulling on a black suit jacket, he looked into the mirror and couldn't help the smile forming his face as he imagined how Echo would be looking at him. _"Damn,"_ was perhaps his favorite reaction of hers, one word uttered after licking her lips, most probably unknowingly.

Exiting his room, Loki walked into the living room with a broad smile on his face. "All right everyone! Let the party continue!"

* * *

**Okey-dokey, that's another iffy ending, but I hope this chapter was all right at least. :) Just a note, I have never gone paintballing or anything like that, and the thing with the masks was just something I added in - think of it as Tony making his own invention to tell if a person's out or not, hehe. :D I hope you all have a good weekend, and I'll be trying to update sooner than last time. Until then, take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


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